What It Takes To Be The Best!
by Relaxing Pikachu
Summary: Finally, the end of this fic! This finale pretty much just has a certain someone wondering what the best, truly is. Finished
1. Chapter 01: Discussions

Hi, I'm Relaxing Pikachu and this is my first attempt at a Rocket Power fic. I normally write Digimon fanfics, and I have a few Pokémon ones and one unfinished Sailor Moon one, and I've tried an original work, but I really need to rewrite it, but never mind all of that. I decided to give Rocket Power a try. I just love the show so much now. I'm still trying to figure out why. lol If you want to know more about me, just check out my bio page here on ff.net. 

I guess I should mention a little something about myself. Let's see, out of the main four, Twister is my favorite character, and next would be Sammy. I don't have anything against Reggie or Otto, I just like Twister and Sammy more. ^^ I also don't feel that Lars is as mean as he seems to want everyone to think. I also seem to be quite a fan of Twister x Reggie also (maybe one day I'll write one, or maybe this one will become one, who knows), but other pairings are cool too. I just seem to like Twister x Reggie, even if it's a fic where it may be one-sided from Twister's side. 

Normally, when writing a fic, I write in that "novel" format (not counting my much earlier, badly written fics ^^). I normally only use script for humor fics or either for A/Ns. Oh, and just to let you know, when I use single quotes, it means the character is thinking, not speaking. 

Hmm, for this fic, the characters will be the following ages (I'm still not sure if Reggie is two years older than Otto or one, but I'll stick with one) 

Oswald "Otto" Rocket: 15 (Grade 10)   
Regina "Reggie" Rocket: 16 (Grade 11)   
Maurice "Twister" Rodriguez: 15 (Grade 10)   
Sammy "Stonewall" Dullard: 15 (Grade 11)   
Lars "Whompinator" Rodriguez: 18 (Grade 12) 

Oh, I never did mention what this fic is going to be about now, did I? ^^; Well, this fic, even though Twister is my favorite character, is going to be dealing with Otto, mostly...in a way. I'm sure all of you wonder why Otto goes out of his way to be the best at everything (sports wise), well this fic is supposed to give an explanation for it and Otto's going to have a bit of a 'tude problem that's having an affect on his friends. 

Okay, let's get this story started! Oh, but before I start, I must say this...I do not own anything dealing with Rocket Power and sorry about the title of this fic in general. My mind was a blank on story titles. ^^;;   


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What It Takes To Be The Best!

Chapter 1: Discussions... 

"Hey, Otto!" called a girl with shoulder-lengthened thick, curly violet hair. "We're going to be late for school if you don't hurry up!!" 

This girl was Regina Rocket, a 16-year-old junior. Everyone called her "Reg" or "Reggie" for short since she truly hated the name, "Regina." She shook her head and she tapped her foot, waiting around for her younger brother, who didn't seem to have any concept of time whatsoever whenever it came to school. 

Every morning, she had to make sure Otto got up in time for school, especially since their father, Ray, who went by the name Raymundo at times, opened up The Shore Shack - a seaside restaurant run by her father and his Hawaiian friend, Tito - earlier now days, which meant leaving Reggie and Otto to fend for themselves in the morning. Ray had no doubt in his mind that the two would do fine by themselves on school mornings, especially with "Responsible Reggie," around. 

Reggie growled slightly as she stared up the stairs, growing quite impatient. "Otto, hurry up, now!!" 

"Okay, okay," Otto grumbled, walking down the stairs. Otto still looked the same; he still wore his shades with green lenses, a headband to keep his thick hair from out of his eyes, and like all days, he always wore a pair of white sneakers, plain shorts, and a bright yellow t-shirt. The main difference now, was that he was a little taller than his older sister. 

She too had changed over the years. She always kept her shades propped up on her head to keep her hair from falling into her face. Right now, she was wearing a dark pink tank top, which showed off her mid-driff slightly, and a pair of baggy dark green hip-hugger jeans, which showed off her girlish figure. She was also quite pretty now, not that she ever wasn't, and lots of boys were noticing her this particular year. Some would say, "Rocket Girl had a very good summer." Reggie still wasn't your "girly girl," as her friends would've pointed out and could still kick ass in Street Hockey and Beach Volleyball. 

"It's about time, Rocket Boy!! What took you so long anyway? We don't want to be late again!" 

The 15-year-old sophomore didn't answer her as he headed towards the front door grumpily and picked up his backpack and his roller blades. Reggie stared after her brother, blinking. As of lately, Otto had been acting a bit strangely, even more than usual. Reggie, and her other friends, Sam and Twister, also found Otto's moods a bit peculiar. Otto seemed to have slight spite towards Reggie and when it came to Sam and Twist, a bit of envy. Either way, his attitude towards the three of them was totally unacceptable. 

Reggie gave off a sigh; her Jansport backpack draped over her right shoulder, and walked out the door. She looked ahead to see Otto long gone. He had slipped on his blades and took off. He hadn't even bothered waiting for her, Sam, or Twister. She locked the door and walked down the driveway dejectedly, wishing her brother would open up to her. Otto's bad attitude and constant silence was driving Reggie crazy. Raymundo was way too busy at the shack to really notice Otto's sudden change. 

When Reggie reached the end of the driveway, she saw two boys waving to her: Sam and Twister. Reggie forced on a smile and gave them a simple, "Hi." 

"Hiya Reg," the husky blonde-haired boy who went by the name Sammy "Stonewall" Dullard greeted. He was still the shortest of their group, but not by much. He was maybe a half an inch or so shorter than Reggie. Maybe even less than that. Sam was definitely one of the best goalies in all of Ocean Shores, California. He had earned the nickname "Stonewall," due to the fact that he could block everything thrown at him. Sam was definitely a whiz with computers and was pretty smart (every teacher's dream). He was so smart, that he was skipped one grade, back when he first moved to Ocean Shores from Kansas about five years earlier. 

"Hey, we saw Otto skate by," the slim tall, long-haired - which nobody would even know since he always wore a striped, backwards red and yellow hat - red-headed boy said to Reggie, "but he didn't even turn around to say hi to us! What's up with that?" 

This was Maurice "Twister" Rodriguez, but he went by the nickname Twister. He hated his name Maurice so much, that he would whomp anyone who dared to even speak it. Well, almost anyone. His parents and his older brother, Lars, used it all the time with him and he knew better than to "whomp" them, not that he would want to; especially his older brother who was a lot stronger than he was and could mop the floor with him. Normally, whomping wasn't even necessary. He would calmly, and politely, request not to be addressed as Maurice. 

Twister loved to play sports, but not as much as he enjoyed filming. With Twister, you would never see him walking around without his camcorder, taping Otto perform his moves so that Otto could study them later, or even just putting together small movies in general, like documentaries. Twister was still quite naïve at times, but he was still pretty much nice to everyone, not counting his brother who seemed to enjoy teasing him, but Twister knew his brother didn't hate him. Twister was just one of those people you just couldn't get mad at. 

"Hey Reg, what's with Otto anyway?" Sam asked as the three made their way towards Ocean Shores High. 

"I wish I knew, Sammy." 

"He's just not acting like himself," Twister mumbled. 

"Twist, you're his best bro, don't you have any idea why he's acting the way that he is?" Reggie asked hopefully. 

"Some best bro," Twister grumbled bitterly. "Something's bothering him and he's keeping it away from me. I kept asking him what was wrong, and he just told me to bug off and to stop being a nuisance and some other things. He sounded like he hated me, or something. He even told me to stay out of his life!! Would a normal best friend tell you something like that?!" 

"He said that?" Reggie asked in pure astonishment. "He told you to stay out of his life?" 

"Yeah, but I know that's not really like him, which is why I'm not _too_ mad at him" 

"Whenever I attempt to associate with him, he does pretty much the same thing, only he calls me a nerd and tells me to leave him alone and to stop bothering him. That nothing is wrong." 

"Dude, he told you that too?" Twister asked, looking over at Sammy. 

He nodded. "He went all aggro on me that day, especially after I asked him why. He then said something like, 'Squid, you're smart, you try to figure it out your damn self,' and left." 

"That's harsh, you two. With me, he just doesn't talk. He doesn't even talk about himself anymore or of upcoming competitions. I tried to start a conversation with him last night about the upcoming Surf Competition that our school is giving this weekend and he just said, 'That's nice,' and, 'I have to get in some more practice to be the best.' He then gave me a sort of annoyed look and went to his room." Reggie lowered her head as she walked, some of her curly hair falling forward into her face. "As much as I hate to admit it, I miss Otto's bragging and over confidence. At least then I would know that he's normal." 

Twister looked down at Reggie, noticing the sad and distant look on her face. He hated to see any of his friends upset, but not as much as he hated to see Reggie upset, which he found rather confusing. Shouldn't he be more concerned over Otto than Reggie? After all, Otto was supposed to be his best bro. 

When he was younger, he never would've even noticed if something was upsetting Reggie, like the time she was annoyed over the fact that Breezy was getting all of the attention instead of her from him and the others, but now he was a bit more in-tune with that kind of thing. 

After realizing that he was staring at her, he looked straight ahead and nervously said, "I'll try talking with Ottoman again today, Reg. We both have Spanish II, Biology I, and English 10 together. I'll try to talk with him after Spanish class since we both have our lunch breaks then." 

"Thanks Twist," Reggie said with another one of her forced smiles, but her voice had slight happiness in it. "I'm sure enough pestering from his best bro'll get whatever's bothering him out in the open." 

"Yeah" the boy said quietly. 

"What does Raymundo have to say about Otto's behavior?" Sammy asked. 

"He doesn't know about it," Reggie managed to say. Right now, she felt like crying and was trying her best not to. She was Reggie Rocket, the tough girl. She never cries over anything. "He's way too busy at the shack to notice anything and when he comes home at night, he's way too tired." 

"Shouldn't you tell him about how Otto's acting? He's been nothing but a lame-o bastard lately!" Twister complained. 

"I don't want to," Reggie said as serious as can be. "Whatever is upsetting Otto has something to do with the three of us. We've obviously upset him in some way." 

"Seeing as how we act the same way we always have around him, I don't see how that is possible," Sam stated as he took off his black square-framed glasses and wiped them off with the tail of his thin t-shirt. 

"Yeah! The Squid is right. We still treat Otto the same, why's he acting all mean to us?" 

Reggie stopped walking abruptly. Sam and Twist did as well. 

"I don't know, you guys, but we're going to figure out what's wrong with him. He took his blades with him this morning, so he's probably going to head over to Madtown after school! We'll catch up with him there and make him tell us what's wrong! I've known the pipsqueak all of my life and he's never once acted like this towards me, unless we were mad at each other over something, and even that's never been a really long time. The longest we've gone without speaking to one another is like a day." 

Twister nodded and gave Reggie a high-five, which was high for Reggie since the younger boy towered her now, while Sam looked down at his watch. "If we want to go to Madtown after school, then I suggest that we hurry ourselves along so that we don't end up with detentions." 

"Yeah, can you believe that Vice Principal Healy became our Principal at OSH!" Twister groaned. "I thought I was rid of him for good after getting out of Junior High, and my mom said that if I get one more detention, that I'm grounded for the rest of the month, which means no Madtown, no Pier, and no surfing!!" 

Sam gave off a small laugh. "Well, you probably won't since Otto's not around to get you into trouble." 

Twister nodded slowly. It was true. Normally, whenever he did get into trouble at school, it was normally Otto's fault. Otto would normally come up with some kind of a crazy idea, and he would willingly go along with him on it, getting caught in the process. 

The three teens ran the rest of the way to school, arriving just as the warning bell rang. Once entering the big brick building, which Twister dreaded more than anything since he really hated going to school, he told Sam and Reggie bye and headed left. Reggie went right, and Sam ran straight ahead up the steps to the second floor. All three of them made it to their Homerooms just as the second bell rang   
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A/N: I hope this first chapter is okay. I don't really think this is very good so far, but hopefully, I'll write something better as the story continues. 

Now, don't forget to leave those comments and reviews, and don't forget to leave suggestions as to how I could make this story a bit better. ^_^ 


	2. Chapter 02: Twister's Thoughts

Hi again everyone. Thanks a lot for the reviews. I'll try to update this particular fic on a weekly basis, unless I run out of ideas. So, expect the next chapter of this fic this upcoming Sunday or Monday. ^_^ 

Oh, and to whoever gave the suggestion, sorry, I don't think I'll be using Freddy Kruger, or Jason, or any of those guys, especially since this isn't that kind of a story. ^^ 

You know, this fic may end up "Twister-ish" after all. I seem to keep writing stuff dealing with him. This entire chapter is dealing with Twister, and for it, he's just thinking of past events. Not a lot of dialogue since it's just him. Lot of thought stuff, though, and I guess Twist/Reg hinting from Twister's side. I sorta like hinting at couplings, even if it's not going to happen for the fic. ^^ That's just the angst part of me writing, I suppose. lol I just really like the concept of Twist having a thing for Reggie. Always have. 

Anyway, for the next chapter, I'm not sure what I'm going to use just yet. I'm still trying to figure out how to bring out what exactly is bothering Otto and why he's so resentful towards his pals without exactly spoiling it. Oh, and to whoever it was who said it, no, he's not really having a Teenage Crisis…something is truly bothering him and he just wants to be the best at all of the sports he participates in. He's always been that way, it's just more extreme now. Also, it has nothing to do with a dead friend. I couldn't use that anyway, unless I had your permission mike2000. lol 

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with Rocket Power. Klasky-Csupo has that honor. Now, on with chapter 2 and don't forget to leave those reviews and leave ideas or suggestions to make this fic better! ^_^   


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Chapter 2: Twister's Thoughts...  
  
It was now the middle of the day, and Twister's Spanish class was almost over. The boy was a bit worried (Otto had missed Biology earlier that morning), but at the same time, a bit angered at his "best bro." He kept thinking back to earlier when he saw Reggie walking from the Rocket house as depressed as could be; even though she wore a smile, he could tell that it was fake. He kept thinking back to when he promised Reggie that he would try talking with Otto again and the slight joy and relief he heard in her voice. The slight joy he wanted to hear again after succeeding in getting Otto to talk. He missed seeing Reggie happy and lately, all of the stress had been wearing her out. 

Otto started to act strangely towards them about two weeks ago. They all figured that it would blow over, but he was just growing more and more irritable as the days went on. Even their street hockey practices had become overbearing and tense. Otto was acting very self-absorbed, hogging the puck - more than usual - trying to score as many goals as possible. 

At their most recent practice, which was about a week ago, Otto grew so frustrated over the fact that he couldn't get any shots past "Stonewall" that he shouted out a few obscenities, tossed down his hockey stick, nearly breaking it, and skated off in the direction of the Pier. Normally, when Sam blocked all of Otto's shots, he would compliment him on a job well done and brag about how they were all "unstoppable with Sammy in the net." 

When Reggie and Twister tried to catch up with him, he told the two of them coldly to leave him the hell alone. After that fiasco, Reggie suggested that they don't practice with Otto for a while and to wait until after he calmed down. That day never came, and it was starting to worry Reggie a bit. Otto wasn't caring about the team, definitely a first, and they had an upcoming match that next week against Lars's team, and his team had definitely improved. His team was always tough competition, but this time, the Rockets would have to play their extreme best if they wanted to have a shot at winning. 

'Can't he see that he's making Reg upset?' Twister thought resentfully as he leaned back in his desk chair. 'He's being all selfish! It's worse enough that he's giving the Squid and me a rough time, but he shouldn't act that way towards Reggie and I plan on finding out what's bothering him!' 

Twist looked up at the clock, it was nearing 12:30. 

'Aww man, it's almost lunchtime and Otto's _still_ not here! Where the hell is he? He never ditches without telling me first!! How can I talk to him if he's not around? If I can't talk to him, then Reggie'll be sad even longer.' He then thought dreamily, 'I miss her nice smile. I miss her being happy.' The more and more he thought of how much Otto was upsetting Reggie the more and more upset it made him. He then thought, '_Dude_, why am I so concerned over Reg anyway? She can take care of herself…but---' 

"MAURICE RODRIGUEZ!!" a female voice shouted for the fifth time. 

Twister nearly jumped out of his seat, his thoughts finally broken. Due to this, the students around him giggled a bit at the dazed Twister. 

"Um, yes Senora Cortez?" 

"I said that I want you to be paired up with Oswald for your class project!" 

'Oswald? Oh yeah, Otto!' The boy scratched his head in confusion, wondering what she meant by the last part of her statement. "Class project?" 

His curly black-haired, petite-sized teacher gave out a groan as she smacked her forehead, the other students around the ever so loveable Twister, still giggling quietly. "Have you not been listening to me for the past 10 minutes!" 

"Um, I think I was," the boy responded meekly as he gave his teacher a sheepish grin, his ears going red from the giggling he could hear coming from the students around him. 'Please don't give me a detention for not paying attention, please don't give a detention for not paying attention…' 

"Oye, Maurice." Mrs. Cortez shook her head as she rolled her eyes. 

Before she could say anymore, the lunch bell rang. All of the children rushed out the door. Twister was about to leave as well, until he was stopped. 

"Oh no you don't, Maurice; you stay right here!" She pointed to a free desk that sat right in front of hers. 

Twister inwardly groaned and took the seat his teacher had pointed to. 

"What is the _matter_ with you?" the woman asked in a surprisingly calm voice. Twister was expecting her to shout at him for not paying attention during class. "You haven't heard a word I've said to you all class, have you?" 

Knowing he couldn't lie his way out of something so obvious, he nodded. 

"You rarely pay any attention and yet, you're probably one of the best students in this class." 

Twister knew that already. He hated the fact that he was, and preferred that no one else know about it. He felt that he had an unfair advantage over the others in his class; especially since his parents spoke fluent Spanish and so did his brother, so he was used of hearing and speaking it whenever at home. He had a bit of trouble when it came to grammar rules - especially since the dialect was slightly different from what his family spoke - and during class, he would even play dumb so as not to look too smart on the subject. He even had to help Otto with his Spanish homework at times, which was definitely a first. It was rare that Twister helped anyone with his or her homework since he was the one who always needed the help. He was pulling a 95 average in this particular course. 

As for his other courses, he had a high grade in Health/PE, which was normal for him and for Otto; his Biology grade could've been better (he had a D for it); for English 10, he had a high C; for Geometry, probably his worst subject, he had a D- (he was considering getting tutoring from Sam to help bring the grade up); for History, which he found pretty boring and pointless, he had a C, and for his Cinematography course, which was definitely his best class, he had an A+. *That course really helped him out since he was in the AV club; a club he had been a part of since his Elementary School days.   
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RP: I didn't know that until I saw that ep where Twister was mad at Otto for calling him a chicken and teasing him after he beefed it on the half-pipe. I'd seen the ep before, just never noticed he said that he needed the film for AV club until I saw it a couple of days ago (this ep has always been a fav too). Nice contradiction there. Twist shouldn't call Sam a nerd ever again. Seems that the AV club is always associated with "nerds" and stuff. =P   
****   
"Anyway, the project was for you and your partner to give a five to ten minute speech about what you like about Ocean Shores and why. The entire presentation _must_ be in Spanish, also. You can make it a dialogue type situation, you and your partner having a casual discussion and you're also required to use visuals." 

'Awesome!' Twister inwardly cheered. Using visuals meant that he could go around and videotape different parts of Ocean Shores, showing what he enjoyed doing most. A puzzled look then appeared on the redhead's face, curious about something. "Yes, ma'am, but why do you want me paired up with Otto?" He was curious since, normally, teachers would purposely keep the two of them apart since they never actually got any work done. They would normally end up goofing off by going surfing or shredding at Madtown and then beg Sammy to help them at the last minute. 

"Well, he's probably one of the worst students in this class, and since you're so good with this subject, I figured that maybe you could help him. I also know how the two of you are the best of friends." She smiled. "You can't see Oswald walking down the hall without you right by his side." 

Twister nodded weakly. As of lately, he wasn't sure if he really considered him a friend or not. Friends didn't treat friends like crap and tell them to stay out of their lives for no apparent reason. A true friend wouldn't keep something so upsetting to himself and make others feel miserable. Twister felt a bit upset over Otto's actions since he now felt that Otto didn't trust him. Twist told him practically everything - almost since there _are_ some personal things he wouldn't tell anyone - but the important stuff he would share with him. He folded his arms and inwardly scoffed. 'Some best bro…' 

"I also know that you two live near each other, so you could probably get his homework assignment to him since he missed class today." 

The boy stared at his teacher with a dumbfounded look glued to his tan, freckled face. "Home…work?" 

"Maurice!!" She pointed towards the stack of papers that were piled on his desk. Twister sat in the very last row and in the very back of it. Since he was so distracted over the way Otto was treating everyone, he hadn't even noticed that they had been passed back to him. 

"Oh yeah, _those_ papers!" 

"Anyway, is Oswald sick?" 

"Um, um yeah…he's sick. _ Very_ sick!" The boy frowned slightly. 'He has to be sick with the way he's been treating Reg!! I mean, me and the Squid too!! Yeah! Um, maybe he's sick in the head, yeah, that's it! He must be.' 

"Well, hopefully he'll get better in time for the surf competition this weekend. I hate to say it, but the school is relying on him to win the competition for our school's Surf Team. We're going for a record of the most consecutive wins!" His teacher stood, a lunch bag in her hand. "Well then, Maurice, you better hurry along to lunch." 

Glad that his interrogation was over, Twister headed back to his desk, grabbed his hat and put it on his head, once again concealing his long, red hair, stuffed his homework papers into his backpack, and walked out of the classroom. He then headed towards the cafeteria, still in thought over what exactly was going on with Otto and trying to figure out why he was more upset over the way he was treating Reggie than the way he had treated him or the Squid… 


	3. Chapter 03: Decisions

Okay, time for the next installment. I hope I'm doing okay so far and not boring you all with the pacing of this fic. Oh, and I should apologize for this, when it comes to surf and skateboarding tricks, I don't really know the names of 'em or know one from the other. That's why I was so hesitant to bother writing a Rocket Power fic in general, but I'm going to keep going anyway.  
  
For this chapter (sorry about the lame title), Twister meets up with Reggie and Sam and they go home, pretty much. Lars also debuts for this chapter. Age wise, I would say Lars is probably about two years or so older than Reggie, but I wanted him to be in school with them and I really wanted Reggie's character to be 16, which is why I have Lars's age at 17.  
  
Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with Rocket Power.Klasky-Csupo has that honor. 

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Chapter 3: Decisions...  
  
The clock struck three and the bell finally rang. The school day was over, and all of the students piled out of the classrooms all over the school. Twister was more than glad to leave. His last class of the day was English 10, and he didn't feel like analyzing another boring - to him - Shakespearean play that he didn't understand anyway.  
  
'Why do we need to know this stuff anyway,' the boy complained as he walked out of the classroom. He was annoyed over the fact that for his class's homework, they had to read the first act of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar and answer the questions at the end. 'If I wanted to read something boring, I'd go to the library!!'  
  
While walking down the hall, anxious to meet up with Reggie and Sam, he heard a familiar, taunting voice calling him. "Hey, Twister!"  
  
The boy turned around to see a 18-year-old boy, he was going to be 19 in a few months, a bit taller than him, definitely had a better build than he, and he had dark long brown hair tucked under a ski cap. He wore a long purple shirt and a pair of baggy beige shorts. The look he always had on his face, seemed to make the boy look as if he was up to something devious.  
  
"Oh, hi Lars," Twister greeted unenthusiastically. He was already disappointed over Otto's not showing up and having to deliver that news to Reggie, so he didn't really feel like putting up with any of his brother's taunting. "What do you want?"  
  
"Now now now, baby bro," Lars, "the whompinator," Rodriguez smirked, "why the long face?"  
  
"I'm fine," Twister said quickly with a shrug. 

"I don't think so," Lars responded, grabbing the smaller, slimmer boy and putting him into a headlock. "I want to know what the deal is." 

"What deal?" Twister demanded, trying to get out of his brother's grasp. 

"The deal with Rocket Dork!" Lars ordered while giving him noogies. 

'Even Lars has noticed that Otto's been acting a bit weird too?' 

Since Twister remained silent and didn't seem to squirm as much to break free as much as he would normally, Lars let go of him, and continued. "Well, I was just wondering why he hasn't been bragging about our upcoming match. He always brags about how you guys are going to beat us and I notice that you guys aren't hanging out as much." 

"I guess he's busy," Twister answered unconvincingly, which Lars noticed. 

"I don't think so. Are you three dorks trying to psyche us out or something by acting like this game isn't an important one?" 

"Three dorks?" 

"Yeah; you, Rocket Dork, and Squid Dork!" 

Twister gave his brother a questioning, suspicious look. "What about Reggie?" 

He shrugged. "What about her? She's not a dork like you three losers," he cruelly laughed. 

Even though Lars seemed to enjoy teasing Twister and his friends, he never had a need, nor did he feel the need, to tease or ridicule Reggie in any way. Normally when he called them all "dorks" he was normally just referring to Twister, Otto, and Sam; she just happened to be around. That was about the only "dorky" thing Lars really could think of when it came to Reggie, her hanging around with Twister, Otto, and Sam. She wasn't gullible, like Twister, egotistical, like Otto, or straight up nerdy, like Sammy. 

There just wasn't anything there for him _to_ tease her about. He couldn't call her ugly, because she wasn't. On the contrary, she was very nice looking, as he, and other guys around Ocean Shores, made quite apparent with the way they would sometimes gawk at her. Lars found it a bit strange that he stared at her at times since this was "Rocket Dork's sister." He would probably get whomped beyond belief by other guys if he had remotely suggested that she was ugly in any way. He couldn't call her dumb, because she was quite intelligent. She had book sense and common sense, and she was definitely one of the best athletes Ocean Shores had to offer.   
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RP: Out of curiosity, has Lars ever been shown teasing a girl in general? I couldn't see him doing that for some reason. I don't recall ever seeing him really directly teasing Reggie either. I still say there's a "good" side to Lars. I still don't think he's as mean or as bad as others makes him out to be either.   
****   
"Oh, well, anyway," Twister began, ignoring his brother's laughs, "I don't know anything about Otto, why he's not showing off, or what he's up to. He didn't even show up today for school." 

"Whatever," Lars snorted, knowing that there was more to what Twister was telling him. "I'm out of here. I have a practice to get to anyway. Pi, Sputz, and Animal already left." 

'The Giant _Goon_ patrol' 

Lars gave his brother a quick smack to the back of the head, and started to walk off. "Latermuch!" he called as he exited the big school. 

The boy noticed that Otto hadn't been hanging around Twister as much and was actually curious as to why, wondering if the two could've had some kind of a fight. He didn't understand why he cared so much, he just did. As of lately, he noticed that his brother had been moping around some, which made teasing him not as much fun. Twister would rarely fight back and he wouldn't argue back as much. There just wasn't any fun in it. 

'Dude, I wonder what the deal is with Rocket Dork and why he and Twist aren't hanging together as much. Something's definitely going on, and I want to know what that something is! I miss the old Twister. He's acting the way he did when he lost that stupid hat of his, and that's _definitely_ not cool!' 

After Lars left, Twister continued down the now, close to empty, hallway, holding his head in the spot where Lars had smacked him. He muttered some obscenities under his breath as he rubbed the sore spot. He was glad that no one was around to see the unusually scenic confrontation between he and his brother (unusual because Lars was a bit nicer than what he would be usually). Lars bugging him in any way or form was embarassing to him.. Most of the other kids had gone home. When he exited the school, he looked to see if he could find Reggie or Sam. He spotted the two sitting at one of the benches where students could sit when waiting for rides home. Reggie had her nose buried in her Journalism II textbook, while Sammy was typing away on his laptop. 

"Hey guys!" Twister called to them as he walked up. 

Reggie closed her book and stuffed it into her backpack. "Hi," she said plainly. 

Sam closed his laptop and put it back into its case. "What's up, Twist. Did you talk with Otto?" 

Twister just stood there, not saying a word as the two stood up. 

"Well?" Reggie asked fretfully, hoping the boy would have good news for them. She stared up at him, awaiting an answer. 

Twister felt a bit guilty since he didn't have better news for her and shook his head slowly. 

"Oh." She lowered her head. "He wouldn't let you talk to him, would he?" 

"He never showed up," he said quietly as he started to walk off. The look on Reggie's face was too much for him, the look of disappointment and grief. He felt that he had caused that since he wasn't able to talk with Otto, to get his best bro to come back to his senses. 

Following his cue, Reggie and Sam hurried to catch up with taller boy. 

"Hold it!!" Reggie nearly shouted. "What do you _mean_ my brother didn't come to school! Raymundo would totally freak if he knew that!" 

"Well, we have three classes together and he didn't show up for either one of them." 

"That's very odd," Sam said. "It's not like Otto to miss school, especially on a Health/PE day." 

"I know what you mean, dude," Twister nodded in agreement. "I bet he goofed off all day at Madtown! I know he couldn't get away with surfing or hanging out at the Pier all day since Raymundo and Tito would've seen him." 

Sam adjusted his glasses and coughed a bit as they walked past a man who had just lit up a cigarette. "Should we go question him now? I suggest we go to Madtown and look for him there." He sneezed, the smell of the cigarette smoke still lingering in his nose, causing his allergies to start up, slightly. 

Reggie shook her head. 

Surprised, Sam replied, with a sniffle, "If you don't mind my asking, Reg, why?" 

"Why bother, he'll just skate off again." Reggie stuffed her hands into her pockets as they continued their brisk walk, finally reaching the boardwalk near The Shore Shack. Normally, everyday, after school, they headed over to the Rocket-owned restaurant to get a bite to eat, or what Sam called it, "brain food," which consisted of a Shack Burger, Fries, and a Shake. 

"That _is_ true, but what do you suggest we do?" Sam asked. 

A big grin spread across Twister's face as he stopped walking and looked towards the Pacific, his eyes shining and the salty sea air tickling his nose. "How about we go for a surf, you guys!! Just look at those awesome waves! They're perfect, and just think of all of the great footage I can get of you, Reg! I have to make another video for AV club anyway, so maybe I could film you!" 

Reggie sighed. "I'm not really in the mood, Twist. I'm still a bit bummed out about Otto." 

"Squid?" 

"Well, I _do_ have some homework, and with your Geometry grades, Twist, you should probably do your homework too." 

"Aww, Squid, how'd you know I had math homework?" 

"You _always_ have math homework." 

Twist laughed bashfully. "Hey yeah, you're right!" 

"You guys do what you want," Reggie said, trying to act like she didn't care what Otto decided to do or how he acted. "I have to get home anyway. I'm expecting a call anyway from Sherry about Tr---" she stopped herself. She didn't want to mention something so personal to the two of them. 

"About what?" Twister asked, staring right at her. 

The girl felt Sam's eyes on her as well. Reg felt her face growing hot, and a small tinge of red appearing on her cheeks. She then turned her head away from Twister and stared at the ground. 

"Well, um, nothing much. Just a student in, um, one of our classes, that's all," she said quickly, a nervous whim in her voice. 

Before either boy could comment on her peculiar behavior, Reggie jogged off towards home...


	4. Chapter 04: Detective Rodriguez!

Hi again all. Hope you enjoyed the last chapter. I cut some stuff out of it dealing with Sam, but I'll probably put it back in for a later chapter. Just a really small scene where he confuses Twister with a course he's taking and using the info he's learning, outside of class. Never mind that, though. It wasn't really important or relevant. 

Now, as the title implies, Twister decides to go and try to find Otto. Okay, so the title is a bit misleading since I could've been referring to Lars. Oh, also, Conroy debuts for this chapter. Reggie also gets her phone call from Sherry who is trying to persuade her to hang out with her and Trish. Okay, that's about all I can think of that's supposed to happen for this chapter, so enjoy. The next chapter is where everything is supposed really happen. ^_^ I'm the type that always write ahead so all I have to do is upload the chapter. So far, I've already written seven chapters to this fic. 

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with Rocket Power. Klasky-Csupo has that honor.   


* * *

  
Chapter 4: Detective Rodriguez! 

"Poor Reg," Sam uttered, watching Reggie jog off, "she's still obviously upset over Otto. Reg turning down a good surf is like Otto actually beefing doing something as simple as a kick flip." 

"Otto beefing _period_ isn't normal." 

"Yeah. Well, I'll catch you later, Twist." 

"Wait, you're not going to the shack to get a bite to eat?" 

"Nah, it just doesn't feel right since all of us aren't together." 

"But we've all been going there for the past couple of weeks without Otto around, what makes this time any different?" 

"No Reggie. It was depressing enough that Otto wasn't around, but now that Reggie isn't, it just doesn't feel right. Besides, I'm not all that hungry today." 

"Dude, the Squid not hungry is like-like Reg acting like a damsel in distress waiting for Prince _Trent_ to come to her _res_cue!!" 

Sam found the way Twister had said "Prince Trent," a bit indignant. He sounded a bit resentful and slightly jealous when he did. As a matter of fact, he seemed to always get a bit jealous of Trent whenever Reggie would mention him. Sam decided to ignore it since he was probably reading too much into it since Reg hanged out with Trent a lot anyway since they had the same classes and were good friends. It shouldn't have been too big a deal. Reggie had even gotten Trent into Journalism and he now helped her out with her 'Zine, which allowed the two to hang out together even more. 

As of lately, Sam _did_ wonder about Twister when it came to Reggie in general. He seemed to act very differently around Reg lately and would sometimes talk about her nonstop, or casually bring her up in converstaion - whenever she wasn't around - or either constantly try to include her in his videos. Normally, he would only ask Otto, but not lately. He still did, only not as much. 

"I guess that does seem a bit surprising," Sam said simply. "Anyway, I'll catch you later, Twist." 

"Yeah, okay. Talk to you later, Squid." 

With that, Sam walked off towards home, leaving Twister all alone on the boardwalk. Since Sam had left, he wasn't really in the mood to eat at the shack either. He looked over towards the seaside restaurant and saw that it was unusually busy. 

'More shoobies,' the boy inwardly groaned. 'They sure are coming around here earlier and earlier. School's not even out yet, but the good thing is that they're all eating now, so if I wanted to go for a quick surf, I could without any of them getting in my way.' 

Twister, not having anything else better to do, and knowing that he wouldn't be able to run all the way home and back to get his surf gear before the Shoobies finished their meals, decided to head over to Madtown, the best skate park in all of Ocean Shores run by a tall, slim Jamaican man who went by the name, Conroy Blanc. He had known Conroy for many years, and at one point, he and Otto had him as their Elementary School teacher. Twister, as well as the others, considered him to be one of the coolest adults around, next to Tito. The coolest thing about him was that he could skateboard and blade like them. Twister saw him as being a better skater than Otto, but he knew never to mention something like that to him. He knew that Otto would totally wig out if anyone would suggest that someone else was better than him at an extreme sport. 

After the short walk, he finally arrived at Madtown. Twister didn't have his skates or his skateboard with him, but he didn't care. He was anxious to talk with Otto. He scanned the park, but didn't see him anyplace. At the entrance of the park, there was a trailer. He knocked on the door, awaiting the inhabitant to answer it. 

"Hold on, mon, hold on," he heard a voice grumble. The door then opened, a man with a gold ring in his left nostril, wearing a colorful long-sleeved shirt with thick horizontal stripes, a pair of baggy shorts, and a pair of sandals appearing. "Twister, my mon, what's happening!" the man asked, putting out his hand to do the special, "woogity" handshake. 

Twister returned the handshake. "Nothing much, Conroy." 

"Where's ya gear? I've nevaa seen ya here without your blades or your board. Come to think of it, I've never seen ya without your Twist Cam either." 

"Well, I can't hang around today, Conroy, and," he pointed to his backpack, which he had draped over his shoulder like he would his camera case, "I always have my Twist Cam." He kept his camera with him always now days. He sometimes forgot his books just so he'd have room for it, or would either carry his books around. "Anyway, have you seen Ottoman today?" 

"Of course, mon," Conroy nodded. "He was here earlier today, ripping it up on the half-pipe, showing off to the shoobies hanging around and showing off all of his latest moves that he'd been practicing non-stop lately." 

'That sounds like him.' Twister rolled his eyes slightly. He liked the fact that Otto felt that he was good at most everything he tried, but after a while, it started to get a bit annoying since he was such a camera hog (Otto pretty much ordered the redhead to film him now), which is why Twister wasn't as anxious to film Otto as much anymore, that and the fact that for some inexplicable reason, he found Reggie a lot more interesting lately. "Do you have any idea where he could've gone?" 

"I have no idea, Twister-dude. I guess he could've gone to the beach for a quick surf." 

'No, he couldn't have. I would've seen him before I came here.' 

"Twister?" 

"Oh, sorry Conroy. Do you know if he was with anyone today?" 

"Well, he's normally with you, but lately he's been hangin' around by himself." 

"Yeah, I know. I think he's bummed out about something because he's not hanging around me, Reg, or Sam." 

"Hmm, that explains it then. I've noticed his coming around here by himself more and more lately." 

Conroy looked down at his watch. 

"I'd chat with ya more, mon, but I have to get going." 

"Yeah, sure…" 

Conroy went back into his trailer, closing the door behind him. Twister was considering going back to the beach to see if Otto was there, but changed his mind and decided to go home. He knew that he would've seen him earlier if he'd been there. 

During the walk, he remained deep in thought, still trying to figure out Otto, but those thoughts soon drifted to someone else, Reggie. He was curious as to why she was so anxious to run off. He figured that maybe being bummed out over her brother was part of the reason, but her comment about receiving a call from her best friend, Sherry, seemed like the honest truth, especially since she seemed to get nervous just mentioning it. 

'I guess it's a girl thing the two of them have to talk about,' he figured as he walked, seagulls soaring overhead in the clear, blue sky. Lars had always told him that normally when girls act weird and have to talk to their "girlfriends," that it's always a "girl thing," that guys wouldn't understand. 'I don't feel like going home and I _do_ have to drop this homework off for Ottoman, so maybe I'll drop by and see if I can cheer Reggie up!' Twister smiled at the thought. He didn't understand why he wanted to constantly hang around Reggie or why he wanted to be extra nice to her. He just did. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

Meanwhile… 

"As if, Sherry," Reggie said over the cordless phone, pacing around the kitchen. 

……. 

"I doubt what you're saying is true about him!" She opened up the refrigerator door and took out a pitcher of juice. 

……. 

"No way!!" She blushed slightly as she went through the cabinet and took out a glass. "He couldn't like me in that way, besides, I only like him as a friend!" 

……. 

She rolled her eyes as she poured her juice into the glass. "Oh, you _would_ bring that up!" 

……. 

She gulped down some of her juice. "Okay, I admit it, when he first moved here years ago, I _was_ a bit attracted to him and I did act totally girly to get his attention, but that was it!" 

……. 

"_Sherry_, stop that laughing!!" Reggie ordered, a hint of embarrassment in her voice. "I know how lame I was when I was in, what you called it, Regina mode." 

……. 

"Can we stop talking about Trent, Sherry? I doubt he actually likes me in the way that you're saying. I don't know why I listen to your gossip. Your sources are never reliable. It's always heard from a friend of a friend of a cousin of a brother of a second cousin or something. Never from the person it's supposed to be about." 

……. 

"Because it's true? As _if_!! If he likes me so much then how come he's never said anything or tried to ask me out?" 

……. 

"Because he's _shy_!?! Yeah right!! Trent is anything _but_ shy! He's captain of our Soccer and Rugby team, he is the star quarterback of our Football team, and he's one of the best surfers our Coed Surf Team has to offer next to Otto for the guys!! I still don't believe what you're saying! Trent _so_ doesn't have a thing for me! If he did, he would've said something by now and _I_ probably would've noticed it since we hang out together so much and so often!! We're just really good friends, Sherry. Anyway, I should go. " 

……. 

"No, Otto's still acting like a jerk for no reason and I don't care anymore about what he does. If he wants to keep acting like a lame-o, then that's his business." Reggie tried to sound convincing, but Sherry knew she was only putting on an act, but decided not to dwell on it. She knew that Reg cared about her brother very much. 

……. 

The girl sighed depressingly. "I don't know about the Street Hockey match, Sher. I just hope he gets his act together by then. If he doesn't, I'll just have to ask someone to replace him at next week's game since forfeiting would rank us out of the league. I _would_ ask Lars, but his team is the one we're playing against. I _guess_ I could ask Trent, or Twister's cousin, Clio, but I would hate to bother them." 

……. 

"Okay, I think I'll go back to working on my 'Zine. I have this article to work on that Trent submitted about his latest trip to New Zealand." 

……. 

"Yeah, talk to you later, and I'll meet you and Trish at the Pier in about an hour, but no guarantees." 

……. 

She laughed. "Yeah, a girls' day, er, evening out is just what we need, but still, no guarantees." 

……. 

"Okay, bye Sherry!" 

The girl hanged up the phone and sighed. She had been speaking with one of her best friends, Sherry. She had short, wavy blonde hair, was very girly, compared to Reggie, and was the _queen_ of gossip. Both she and Reggie, along with their other best friend, Trish, all played on the All-State Girls' Beach Volleyball Team. The three of them dominated the sport. Due to their playing for the state, they were never able to play on their school's team. No time. 

Sherry had called to invite her to hang out at the Pier that evening and to inform her of a certain boy who was apparently crushing on her. Reggie knew that she was going to mention him, she just didn't know what she was going to say about him. A handsome, dark-haired boy, from New Zealand, named Trent. He moved to Ocean Shores years earlier, and Reggie totally fell for him, as did a lot of the girls. To impress him, she acted weak, girly, allowed herself to be called "Regina," by him, and acted like a clueless newbie surfer and skater. Due to this, she would hang around Trent to give her surf lessons, but her cover was blown when she saved Sammy when he was about to get whomped by major wave when they were all surfing one day. Trent, the whole time, knew that she had been faking even before she had helped Sam. 

After that incident, she and Trent became good friends, and Reg did still have that small crush on him. As the years went by, her crush on him started to fade a bit, she started to see him more as a really good friend, but she still couldn't talk about him without getting a bit flustered at times, which both Trish and Sherry noticed. She normally kept her composure when around other people, but she never did around Trish and Sherry. 

Wondering why Sherry and Trish were both so anxious to hang out at the Pier that particular evening, Reggie headed up to her room so that she could get started on some of her homework, and to put on the finishing touches of the most recent issue of her 'Zine, when she heard a noise coming from outside… 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

Twister had finally made it to the Rocket home, but when he got there, he heard the sound of a skateboard clacking against wood and a familiar voice root, "Whoa-ho, this move is _totally_ sick!! Whoo!" 

"Ottoman?" 

He rushed to the side of the house, just like Reggie was since she heard the sound too. She was on her way out the side door when Twister arrived. When the two got there, they saw Otto on the half-pipe performing one of his latest and most impressive skate tricks. 

"_Otto_!!" Reggie gasped. 


	5. Chapter 05: The Confrontation!

Thanks a lot for the reviews for this story, so far, everyone. I really appreciate them. ^_^ And to mike2000, Reggie's calling out to Otto was more so a surprise, I guess you could call it. You know like, "Otto, it's you!" That type of thing, like another one of you said. 

Well, Otto isn't doing anything that Reggie or the others would disapprove of, so sorry to disappoint you or anyone else who may have been thinking that. Just a reminder, he's jealous of Reggie and he's envious of both Sam and Twister. Another hint is this, it has a lot to do with their, as in Sam, Reggie, and Twister's, extra-curricular activities, I guess you could say. Bah, I know I said that wrong too!! I suck when it comes to trying to explain stuff like this. Maybe I'll just shut up and continue on with the story. ^^;; 

Anyway, for this chapter, both Twister and Reggie confront Otto and demand some answers from him, but it doesn't turn out the way they had hoped. Otto ends up saying a lot of harsh things to the two, especially to Reggie, whom of which he seems to be the most annoyed with. 

I'll probably get into what Otto's problem _truly_ is in a flashback like situation, or either have a short chapter focused on his thoughts or something. I just don't know when I want to use that or where I want to use it. ^^ 

As I write this, I keep getting more and more ideas. For the next chapter and the chapter after it, expect Twister x Reggie hinting. Well, more than what's been shown so far I mean. I keep getting more ideas for that too. To get them together or not to get them together, that is the question. 

Oh, and just so you'll know, the competing for Reggie's attention by both Twister and Trent will be inevitable. 

Twister is in too much denial to admit to his liking Reggie, even though he's constantly pining for her attention and is oblivious to his doing so, which has been pointed out already indirectly by Sam in the previous chapter. 

Trent, on the other hand, well, he's probably going to be a bit more obvious about his liking Reggie since one person already knows about it (no, it isn't Reggie). Trent _is_ going to show up eventually - I've already written it out, and he'll be in chapter 9 - which means hinting. 

I wonder why there aren't more fics dealing with Trent x Reggie, especially since it was so dead-set obvious that she had a thing for him. Oh, and just because I'm putting Trent in this fic, doesn't necessarily mean that I'm going to hook Trent and Reggie up. 

Man, that was a _long_ A/N. Sorry about that. ^^ 

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with Rocket Power. Klasky-Csupo has that honor. Enjoy the fic, and don't forget to leave those reviews and comments to let me know how I am doing or what I can do to improve it. As I always say, there's always room for improvement. lol   


* * *

  
Chapter 5: The Confrontation! 

Twister had finally made it to the Rocket home, but when he got there, he heard the sound of a skateboard clacking against wood and a familiar voice root, "Whoa-ho, this move is _totally_ sick!! Whoo!" 

"Ottoman?" 

He rushed to the side of the house, just like Reggie was since she heard the sound too. She was on her way out the side door when Twister arrived. When the two got there, they saw Otto on the half-pipe performing one of his latest and most impressive skate tricks. 

"_Otto_!!" Reggie gasped. 

Twister didn't say much of anything and just stared in awe. '_Dude_, I've _never_ seen him do _that_ move before!! I have to get this on tape!' Twister thought as he obliviously started going for his camera in his backpack, which he stopped doing immediately with what happened next. He heard a thump and a groan. When he looked up, he saw Otto lying face down on the half-pipe. 

Since his concentration had been broken, Otto beefed his landing. Twister and Reggie ran over to him as he stood up, brushing himself off. 

"Are you all right, bro?" Twister asked, staring down at his friend. 

Otto didn't say a word and shot Reggie a hateful look. This look made Twist shudder since it seemed so cold and harsh to him. He had never seen Otto look at anyone with such spite and malice. Sure he'd seen Otto give Lars looks of true annoyance - so did he - from his somewhat constant bullying, and competitiveness, whenever they had a Street Hockey match against one another or any other sport, but never any real anger. 

"Thanks a lot, Re_gi_na! I could've nailed that move!! You ruined my perfect landing!" 

Ignoring the fact that the Otto had called her Regina, a name she truly truly hated, she replied, "Sorry about your landing, but what's going on? According to Twist, you missed school today, you've been missing our street hockey practices, you've---" 

"Why don't you just bug off!" Otto snapped at her. 

"Otto?" Reggie tried her best to remain calm. She knew her brother better than anyone, and knew that the real Otto wouldn't normally act the way that he was now. "What's wrong? Just tell us. What did we do to make you mad at us?" 

"I _said_ to leave me alone!" Otto spat as he picked up his skateboard. "I have to be the best, and don't worry about the game. I'm the captain, and I'll be there. I'm already a great player anyway...too bad I can't say the same for _you_ lame-os." He stared directly at Reggie. "You think you're so good, but you're probably the _worst_!!" 

Reggie was speechless. She had never been talked to so harshly before in all of her life, especially not by him. She and Otto were like two peas in a pod, a team. Team Rocket, as Otto would call it. A part of her, the Regina side of her, wanted to break down and cry since the possibility of her own brother hating her was so hurtful, yet, another part of her, the Reggie side, wanted to beat Otto senseless with his skateboard for being such jerk. 

Twister was equally surprised over the malevolence in Otto's voice. He too couldn't say anything. He looked over at Reggie, wondering if she was going to counter in any way, but her look of astonishment mixed with distress was too much for him. It looked as if she wanted to speak, but she just couldn't bring herself to. Twister, on the other hand, could keep quiet no longer. 

"Dude, _what_ is your malfunction?" 

Otto stepped up to the taller boy. "What's it to you, _traitor_!" 

Twister ignored the "traitor" comment. "Why are you acting this way? Why are you being more competitive than usual? How can you just insult us like that!?!" 

Otto sighed. "Just leave me alone." 

He started to walk off, but Twister stepped right in front of him; something he had _never_ done before. Normally, Twister would go along with everything Otto said, even if he didn't agree with it. If Otto did something that bothered or annoyed him, he would just brush it off and let it go, but this time was different. He refused to stand around and let Otto have his way for once. 

"Get out of my way, _Mau_rice!" Otto growled, his left fist clenched since he was holding his skateboard in his right. 

"You're not leaving until you apologize for the things you said to Reg!" Twister told the boy, ignoring the fact that he had called him Maurice. 

"Why the hell should I! I was only telling the truth!! She _does _think she's best and I'm here to prove her wrong!" 

He tried to walk past Twister once again, but the boy held Otto in place. 

"Let _go_ of me!!" 

"No, not until you apologize to Reggie!!" Realizing what he said, he quickly added on, "And to me an-and to Sam." 

"I don't _have_ to do anything!" Otto yelled, his eyes narrowed in disgust. He then muttered, "Some best bro! Nothing but a traitor, sticking up for her!" 

"Best bro!! _Best_ bro!! You have some nerve!!" Twister argued back, something else he had never done before. 

This was the first time for as long as he had known Otto where he actually wanted to hit him for his selfishness. Even more than the time Otto called him a "mug" for sticking up for Reggie when Otto was giving her a tough time when they participated in the Junior Waikikamukau Games that were held in New Zealand a few years back. This was also the first time he actually felt the need to argue back. He normally just let things go but his insults towards Reggie were just unforgivable to the redhead. 

"If you were my best bro, you would've told me what was bothering you instead of treating me like crap and keeping whatever it is, to yourself! A _real_ best bro wouldn't insult his best friend and call him a lame-o!! A _real_ best bro wouldn't act so selfish all of the time! I know you want to keep your title as the best surfer in all of Ocean Shores and the best skateboarder and the best skater, but it's not all about you, bro!! We're all supposed to be a team - me, you, Reggie, and Sam - and lately I think you've forgotten that! Even my _real_ brother wouldn't treat me the way you are right now and _he's_ a jerk!" 

The look on Twister's face was a mix of true disgust, confusion, and slight anger, his anger showing most as of the moment. Reggie glanced at Twister; his demeanor and the expression he wore, to her, made him look remarkably like his brother, Lars. 

Otto just stood there, scowling, Twister's grip still tight on his right shoulder. 

"Now, apologize to Reggie…_Os_wald!!" Twister ordered through grit teeth. 

To both Rockets, the boy looked like he was ready for a fight, or was trying to keep his temper so as to avoid one. Neither one of them had ever seen Twister this upset before. 

"If you don't apologize to the Squid, or me, at least apologize to her. She didn't do anything to you!! You guys are family! Family shouldn't treat family like that!" 

"I told you that I am not going to apologize for telling the truth about her and _you_ should talk! You and the Squid are just like her, _especially_ you! Always showing me up, always---" he stopped abruptly and pushed Twister. "You know what, I don't even care anymore! I'm out of here!" After he pushed Twister, he finally broke free of his grasp and hopped onto his skateboard, taking off...   
****   
A/N: There ya go, the end of this chapter. As for the Lars/Twister ref, this is just my personal opinion on them when it comes to looks. Sure they look nothing alike, but when Twister gets mad, to me, he seems to be a bit like Lars, like when Little Scotty called him "Cousin Squid." Okay, maybe I'm reading too much into that. I still feel that at times, Twister does resemble Lars a bit. ^^;; 

Oh, one more thing...I apologize for the move Otto was trying to perfect. Since I'm not a skater, I couldn't really describe anything or even make something up. So, once again, I truly apologize for my lack of skateboarding knowledge. 


	6. Chapter 06: Reggie's Nondate Date!

Interesting confrontation, huh? Really harsh, eh? I can't wait for you readers to actually find out what's wrong with Otto and why he is acting so mean towards them. Too bad it's going to be a while. Unfortunately, whenever I write any kind of a story, I seem to always stray away from the main story for a while and have the other characters doing things. Like for the next couple of chapters, they'll be Reggie and Twister oriented. I plan on revealing Otto's source of anger in either chapter 10 or for chapter 11. I still haven't decided yet. It depends on how I decide to end chapter 9. 

I really had a tough time coming up with a title for this chapter. I've always been bad at chapter titles. Anyway, for this chapter, Twister tries to cheer Reg up since she's still a bit upset over the way Otto treated her. Sorry, no Otto for this chapter. You won't see Otto again for a good while, I'm afraid. Of course I'm going to have to have Reggie and Twister discuss what happened with Sam at some point. 

Oh, and to mike2000, you are _so_ right. I don't remember Follow the Leader much - I remember seeing the ep, but I've seen it only once and that was a long time ago when I wasn't really into the show - but I do remember the Secret Spot ep reference you made. Twister looked like he was going to get physical with Otto just to get an answer out of him. _Very_ Lars like. See, Twister is more like Lars than even _he'll_ probably admit. lol 

Oh, I just thought of another incident dealing with Twister, the ep with the Luge Race. Sam was trying to cheer him up, and he kept telling Sam that he wasn't in the mood. Twist even said something pretty harsh to Sam too. When Sam asked him if he wanted to see a Face Plant or a Tush Plant, Twister said coldly that in his case, they were both the same, or either he asked what the difference was. Okay, maybe that's not _that_ harsh, but I personally found it that way, especially because of what Twister just compared Sam's face to. ^^ Twister even pushed him down before Reggie and Otto showed up. That's probably a bad example. Twister was peeved for that ep anyway, and I guess he just needed to vent, and just took it out on Sam (isn't that always the case?). 

Hey, to all of you Rocket Power fans out there, has there ever been an episode where Twister's been somewhat mad or annoyed with Reggie? 

As for the person who asked about the movies, just go to the end of this chapter, I've already taken up too much space up here for this Author's Note. lol 

Let's see, something else, the only reason this chapter got uploaded so fast is due to the fact that I'm going to be a bit busy this weekend, so I just decided to put it up earlier than usual. After this week, I'll go back to uploading on either Sundays or Mondays. 

Here I am, rambling again. Sorry about that. Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with Rocket Power. Klasky-Csupo has that honor.   


* * *

  
Chapter 6: Reggie's Non-date Date! 

"Otto, no wait," Twister called quietly as he watched his best bro skate off. 'I wonder what he meant by all of the stuff he said. How am I a traitor? What exactly did we all do to upset him anyway?' 

The boy turned and looked towards Reggie who hadn't said anything for a good while. 

"Hey, Reg, are you okay?" 

She didn't answer. 

"Reggie?" 

"What did we do to make him so mad at us, Twister," Reggie asked distantly, her voice a bit shaky as if to keep from crying. "Why does he hate us?" 

"Um, well, just forget about him for a while?" Twister replied hesitantly and questionably. He wasn't sure exactly how to respond to the girl's inquiry since he too had been wondering the same thing. 

"I don't think I can, Twist." She lowered her head and stared at the ground, heaving out a depressing sigh. "What he said was so, harsh…" 

Twister hated to see Reg in this state, so he felt the need to cheer her up, or attempt to anyway. 

"Um, um, Reggie, I, um, was heading over to-to the Pier…" he began, feeling very nervous and uneasy, not understanding why, exactly, "…want to come with me to the amusement park?" 

The boy felt his face growing slightly red and was more nervous than ever. His stomach felt as if it was tied in knots. He suddenly became very hot and started to sweat slightly. 

'Why do I feel this way? I'm just asking her to come along with me to the amusement park at the Pier. We've gone there plenty of times, but it's normally Ottoman, Sam, Reg, and me, or us with other kids from school. Maybe _that's_ why I'm so nervous.' He inwardly shook his head. 'No, why would I be? Reggie is my friend. I've known her just as long as I have Otto, practically forever. Reg and me are buds…no need to wig out, Twist…' 

"I'm not really up to it," the girl mumbled wryly. 

"Aww, c'mon Reg," Twister said with lots of determination, trying his best to put those awkward and nervous feelings of his aside, "you need to get your mind cleared and off of Otto. It'll just keep you upset." 

The girl looked up and stared the boy right in his dark, innocent eyes. "But I---" 

Twister turned his head slightly to avoid eye contact with the girl. He knew it would make him more uneasy than what he currently was. "I won't take no for an answer," the boy then smirked, "Re_gi_na, and I'll race you there," his smirk then turned to that of a crafty, Lars-like grin, "unless you're scared I'll beat you." 

Reg gave the boy an arrogant, determined smile that all of the Rockets wore whenever challenged. She knew that Twister was joking around since he had called her Regina. He always called her that as sort of a way to edge her on. Reggie also found it a bit sweet that Twister was trying so hard to get her to cheer up, but at the same time, she was surprised that he hadn't gone after Otto; after all, the two were pretty much inseparable and he looked as if he really wanted to earlier. 

"Rocket Girl, _scared_? No way!" She walked up to him and poked the boy in the chest with her index finger, her other hand resting on her hip. "I accept your challenge, _Mau_rice!" She then gave him a wink and a smile. "Rocket Girl isn't afraid of anything!" 

"Great, let's go!" 

Reggie nodded and ran into the house to get her money and to lock up. He followed behind her so that he could leave his backpack there and just pick it up later. Reggie only agreed to go with Twister to the Pier since he seemed so anxious to cheer her up. 

Twister waited at the bottom of the steps, wondering what was keeping Reggie. 

"Okay, I'm ready," Reggie called, running back down the steps, only instead of sandals, she was wearing sneakers. 

She stopped and stood in front of Twister, who couldn't help but stare at her. He didn't know why he stared; he just couldn't help himself. Reggie seemed quite pretty to him and no matter how much he wanted to deny it, he just couldn't. 

"Yoohoo, Twister!" She waved a hand in front of his face, which had a blank look on it. She'd seen that look before, especially since Twist had the tendency to space out at times when in deep thought over something, or either when he was bored and just tuned the world out. Reggie assumed that it was the first - any other time, she would've assumed that he just blanked out, tuning the world out. She figured that he was probably thinking of Otto and of his peculiar behavior. "Your brain froze or something?" 

"Oh, um, sorry," the boy apologized hastily, his thoughts broken. "I was just…thinking about some things." 

Reg set a hand on her hip and gave him a gentle, half smile. So he _was_ thinking. There was a first time for everything, the girl figured. "I thought you were the one trying to get Otto off of _my_ mind. Looks like I'll have to do the same for you." 

"Otto?" He thought for a moment. "Um, yeah…Ottoman." He gave her a nervous grin since he had just lied. Otto was the person furthest from his mind, but how could he tell her that he was really thinking about her? About how pretty she was. About how important and amazing she was to him. He knew it would freak her out; _hell_, it was starting to freak him out that he actually felt that way. "So, ready to go now?" 

"Yeah!!" 

'Why can't I get Reggie off of my _mind_? Why do I keep thinking of her as pretty? She's only a friend. Friends aren't supposed to be pretty. I've never really thought of anyone like this before, and I've never had anyone on my mind like this either. She's _always_ on it! Could I be sick? Maybe I'm allergic to Reggie since I only get all weird like this when I'm around her!!' 

"Twister?" 

"Oh, yeah. L-let's go!" 

The girl gave him a curious look - something about him seemed a bit different to her; she couldn't put her finger on it exactly - but shrugged it off as they walked out, Reg locking the door behind her. 

"Okay, on your mark…." Twister started. 

"…get set…" Reggie positioned her self, ready to take off. 

"GO!!" they both shouted in unison. 

Both took off, headed towards the Pier… 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

"I wonder what's going on," Sam said as he stared out of his bedroom window. 

He thought he heard someone arguing and decided to see what all of the commotion was about. He saw Otto skate by in a huff. He had called to him, but he didn't even look back. 

'Maybe he and Reggie had a fight. I'm sure she'll mention it to me later,' the boy assumed in thought, going back to his latest project. 

He was programming another game for his Computer Club. He was, once again, in competition with a boy named Oliver Van Rossom, a brainy kid that Sam befriended years earlier. They were both interested in computers and he was just as much of a whiz kid as Sam was. They were pretty much friendly rivals. For this one, they were both trying to come up with the best original concept for a computer game.   
****   
RP: I apologize for the thing about Oliver. I forgot that he was in advanced classes and in High School when he was first debuted on the show, but since I already wrote it, I didn't feel like changing it. I'm sure a brainiac like him would've already graduated High School by the time Sam and the others reached it. He'll probably be graduating college by the time Sam and the others get out of Junior High/Middle School. lol   
****   
"Oh well," Sam said as he stared back at his computer screen. 

He then heard someone shout, "GO!!" He looked back out his window again to see Reggie and Twister running up the street. 

"I wonder where they're going. They couldn't be going after Otto because he skated off in the other direction. They don't have their swimsuits on, so they aren't going surfing, and they don't have their skateboards or blades with them, which means no Madtown." 

The boy shrugged as he typed in some more computer codes. He then stopped when a thought came to mind, 'I wonder why they didn't invite me along to wherever it is they're going…' 

Unable to answer his own question, he went back to his work. 

"Sam, could you please bring me a cup of hot tea!!" a raspy voice called with a cough. 

"Coming mom!" the boy called as he went to take care of his sick mother, who was suffering from a cold...   
****   
A/N: Okay, now that that's out of the way, here's the synopsizes on the Rocket Power movies: 

The Race Across New Zealand   
This is the first of the three movies (the third movie has never aired and I actually mention it next chapter). The kids saved up the cash to go to New Zealand to participate in the Junior Waikikamukau Games which consists of four extreme sports events. Twenty-five (iirc) years earlier, Ray participated in the games, and lost in the final competition (Snowboarding or either Skiing) and came in second to a guy named McGill. Ray is a bit tough on Otto, putting the notion in his head that he has to win and be the best, etc., because McGill has a son that's also participating in the games. Both of the McGills were pretty snobbish. 

Let's see, what else happened...oh yeah. Because of Ray's idolizing of Otto, he really ignored Reggie, which pissed her off. Otto became a bit conceited and edgy during the races. All of them had to be done in a group effort. The first competition, if I'm remembering it right, the group had to ride down some rapids in innertube thingees through a cave, which had glow worms (Twister was scared of 'em, pretty funny), then after you get out, you have to stack the innertubes on a pole, but it's high, so they all had to stand on each other's backs and stuff. Their group was ahead of McGill's, but had trouble with that pole thing because of Sammy's being kind of short when tossing them up. The fourth one was kind of tilted on the pole, so Twister got an idea and got the final innertube down. They then went to the next part of that first competition (sorry, don't remember...I think it was biking), and the final part they all had to skateboard to the finish line. Of course Otto's pretty much in the lead, but his wheel came off (it was sabotaged), so McGill passed him. Reggie caught up to Otto and he told her to give him her board so that he could win, she refused and kept going. Twister caught up and gave Otto his board and waited for Sam. Sam told Twister to go on ahead while he fixes Otto's board and use that. Reggie made it to the finish line and stuff, but Ray scolded Reggie for not giving him her board and Otto for not checking his equipment before the races started. 

The rest of the movie is a bit iffy to me, since I only saw it once. For another one of the races, they had to windsurf. Sam made out the route for them to go on a map, warning them of certain spots, etc. Otto was ahead, of course, but when he turned for one part, he hit a sandy spot, which made him fall over. From shore, you could tell Ray was disappointed, even though Reggie and the others were still in the race and Reggie was going to come in first. She noticed Ray and wiped out on purpose. Ray didn't seem too concerned at all. He was still upset over Otto's losing. Twister _did_ check to see if Reg was okay, just like he did when Otto's board broke. To be completely honest, Twister was the only one who seemed to try the hardest to keep the group together. He really believes in that teamwork stuff. lol At one point, he tried to do their little handshake, but Reggie was too peeved to join in, Otto was still on an ego trip, and Sam didn't feel like it and was more interested in learning more about the customs of New Zealand and stuff. 

Anyway, after that, they all started to argue with one another...actually, Twister tried to play the peacemaker. Otto started to fuss at Sam for his messed up directions (someone did tamper with the map), and then he argued with Reggie, Twister told him to lay off her, and then he argued with him, calling him a "mug." It's supposedly a New Zealand term meaning something along the lines of a "kook" or a "shoobie," so right there, Twister refused to associate with Otto. 

After a while, Ray also realized that the way he had been treating Reggie was bad, and talked, and apologized to her. For the final competition (Snowboarding) they all made up with one another (I think it was Reggie who got Twister to talk with Otto again), and went against the McGill team, blah blah blah, found out the McGills had been cheating for years, which means that for the first one, Ray actually did win it, etc.... 

Anyone who wants to add more onto that, go right ahead. I know I left out a lot of stuff. ^^ 

Reggie's Big Break   
This movie is about Reggie, obviously, and her getting a "big break." :-p lol It was sort of an MTV Spring Break type of thing, minus the cussing and women not wearing their bikini tops, flashing everyone. She became like the host of the big thing, Otto was grounded the whole time, and Twister, with Sam's help, is obsessed with meeting with this singer named Shaffika. Twist was a big fan of hers. He probably thought she was cute and he did get a kiss from her. lol 

Since I can't give a decent summary myself on what the movie was about, I got this from the Rocket Power Heat website: 

Summer's here at Ocean Shores, and things are heating up. After looking at Twister's tape, a channel company decides to go to Ocean Shores. Otto has looked forward to this for a long time, but gets grounded for not helping Ray at the Shack by trying to nail the 009 on the ramp. A 009 is an inverted 900. While Otto is suffering, Reggie gets noticed by Crystal and gets all the fame, while Sam and Twister try to search for Shaffika. Will fame split up Otto and Reggie, or will it bring them closer together. Let's just say, the sibling rivalry is heating up, and emotions will get out of control. 


	7. Chapter 07: Old Bros and Burgers!

For this chapter, Tito and Ray make their debuts. I personally don't like how I wrote them out, but I guess it's okay. I also apologize - again - for the lame chapter title. That was all I could think of. ^^ 

Oh, a bit of an irrelevant statement, but I thought of another ep where Twister was a bit like Lars. Maybe even worse than Lars. Okay, that's just pushing it. lol Well, what I am thinking of is from ep 1, "New Squid on the Block." Twister bullied Sam so badly for that ep. Probably worse than Lars's bullying, imo. He wouldn't lay off of Sam, he purposely tripped him when playing Street Hockey, and I got the impression that he really didn't like him much. Even after they found out he was a good goalie, Twister was still a bit rude when it came to him. 

Something else, if you guys want to watch the Rocket Power movies, both will be shown during the Nonstop Nicktoons Weekend (or whatever it's called) on November 28. "The Race Across New Zealand," will be shown at 2 pm, Eastern Standard Time, and "Reggie's Big Beach Break," will be shown at 5 pm. Both movies are an hour and a half long. Between the two, I like "The Race Across New Zealand" a lot more than "Reggie's Big Beach Break." Probably because the kids were altogether for that one. For "Reggie's Big Beach Break," everyone was separated doing their own thing. Otto was grounded, Reggie's popularity was going to her head, sort of, and Twister was in pursuit of Shaffika, with Sam's help who just wanted an autograph to auction off on the internet, etc. I could _so_ see Sam as an entrepreneur in the future, especially since he's into making money, obviously. lol Twister got something better than an autograph. He got a kiss, he got back at Lars for the mean trick he played on him when Twist was about to meet up with her (very mean; he stole the passes Reggie got him), _and_ he got to dance in Shaffika's video, and he got to dance with her at the party. ^_^ 

Okay, now that my ramblings are over, I must say this: I do not own anything dealing with Rocket Power since Klasky-Csupo has that honor, and don't forget to leave those comments and reviews. ^_^   


* * *

  
Chapter 7: Old Bros and Burgers! 

Reggie and Twister ran as far as they could, when they were both starting to grow a bit tired. When they stopped, they were pretty close to the boardwalk near the Shore Shack a little ways past Madtown. Twist had stopped before Reggie and when she noticed Twister falling behind, she stopped and walked back to where he was. 

"Whoo hoo!!" Reggie cheered in victory pumping her arms up and down into the air. "Rocket Girl rules!" She then did a well-known victory dance. "Go Reggie, go Reggie, it's your birthday, it's your birthday!" 

Right now, Twister was hunched over, trying to catch his breath. 

"I...was...crazy...to...challenge...you," the boy managed to say between breaths. "You...enter triathlons...every year..._and_ you're...captain of our...Track & Field team." 

"Don't forget Swim Club," she added. "I _do_ have to keep in shape and running and swimming is perfect for learning how to conserve oxygen. Come on, let's just walk the rest of the way." 

The boy stood upright, his breath finally caught, and gave her a thumbs up. "I'm all for that, Rocket Girl." 

With that, the two briskly walked and came to the Shore Shack. As usual, it was incredibly crowded. "The Shoobie Dinner Rush" is what Otto would call it. There were a lot of tourists around and Reggie felt sorry for her dad and Tito. They were working extra hard due to the customers. How the two of them were able to manage things was beyond her. 

"Poor Raymundo and Tito, it's shoobie city over there," Twister said as they walked past the restaurant. 

"Those two are going to be busy for a while. I hope they don't stress themselves out with all of the extra work." 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

"Okay, one Hula Burger and an order of large Shack Fries coming up," said a tall man with short blonde hair, writing down the order on a notepad. 

He wore a pair of shorts, a white T-shirt, a pair of flip-flops, and a fisherman's cap which covered up his bald spot. Just like with Twister, he never took his hat off. This was Raymundo Rocket, owner of the Shore Shack, and the father of Reggie and Otto. Ray also ran a repair shop (Rocket Boards) for those with snow boards, skate boards, surf boards, etc., and he also sold them. 

He was roughly in his mid to late 40s and was a widower. *His wife died when Otto was still five, and Reggie had just recently turned seven. Ray still thought back to the time when his wife had died, remembering the sad looks on Reggie and Otto's faces when he had to deliver the news to them, explaining that their mother wasn't going to go home with them when she was admitted into the hospital for uterine cancer. The doctors thought she was getting better, especially since she had gone through all of the treatments, and was even given a hysterectomy, but she had a relapse and the result was fatal. 

Before she died, she spoke to both Reggie and Otto, individually, giving them words of encouragement and wisdom. To Ray, it was like she knew she was going to die, even though the doctors said she would have a full recovery. The relapse was totally unexpected, and her entire time in the hospital, she always wore a smile whenever Ray and the kids would visit. She would tell Ray things like, she didn't want to be remembered sulking and feeling sorry for herself. 

It wasn't often that he spoke of the children's mother to Otto and Reggie, but he _did_ make it clear that if they ever wanted to talk about it, to go right ahead. Reggie sometimes would start talking about their mother, wanting to hear stories about her, what she was like, how she and Ray had met, etc., but Otto would go out of his way just to avoid it. Whenever they would start to discuss her, Otto would go to another room, or go outside and practice some skateboard tricks. 

Reggie always figured that maybe talking about their mother was too painful and upsetting for him to discuss, which just caused him to bottle up those feelings. Ray figured this too, but decided that it would be best if he didn't force Otto to talk about his mother, and that he would come around eventually. 

"Hey, Tito, one Hula Burger and a larger order of Shack Fries!" He turned back to the customer. "Would you like anything else?" 

"Hmm, I think I'll have a chocolate shake as well," the customer with the northern accent responded. This man was definitely a tourist, Ray figured. 

"Sure thing," the man responded back in a cheery manner. Always wear a smile he would say, no matter how stressed out the customers make you. 

Ray went to the milkshake machine and started to prepare a chocolate shake, when a somewhat, chubby, Hawaiian man with his brown wavy hair tied back into a single ponytail wearing an apron walked up to the counter holding a plate. 

"Who ordered the Hula Burger combo, bruddah," he asked Ray. 

"The man over there," Ray pointed. 

He nodded and handed the man his order. Less than a minute later, Ray walked up with the man's milkshake. Ray then tallied up the price on the notepad. The customer thanked both Ray and Tito, paid the bill, and took a seat. 

"Whoo!" Ray wiped his brow. "This was definitely a busy day, eh Tito?" 

"You said it, bruddah," Tito responded. 

The wise Tito Makani was one of Ray's best and oldest friends. They had been through thick and thin together. Best Bros, they were. At times, Ray would consider his and Tito's friendship a lot like Otto and Twister's. They were inseparable and were always there to help each other out, like true bros. Tito helped Ray run the Shore Shack and always seemed to have words of wisdom, which he had learned through "the ancient Hawaiians." 

"I would love to close up early today and just surf the rest of the afternoon away." 

"I'm with you, bro," Ray said, tending to another customer who had ordered a soda. "But you know we can't. There's just way too much work today." 

"Yeah, yeah," Tito grumbled. He then gave his friend a somewhat exasperated look. "You just _had_ to come up with the new breakfast menu." 

"Well, it got us more business, didn't it?" 

Tito looked out at the customers eating. The place was packed. "A bit _too_ much business if you ask me. I miss slow business." 

Ray gave his buddy a smug smile, and slyly said, "But with the profits, you can finally get that raise you deserve." 

"A _raise_!?!" Tito's eyes lit up. "Hmm, I really don't feel we have enough business. As the ancient Hawaiians say, 'The early bird catches the worm.'" 

"Wait, that's not an ancient Hawaiian saying." 

"Maybe not, but if we open earlier, we get more business, which means more mula for Tito! The Shore Shack is like the early bird, and we will be able to catch more worms, the customers, and get rewarded handsomely." 

"I knew that would get you," Ray laughed. "The other reason I wanted to open the place up earlier is because of the kids." 

Tito started to wipe off the counter. "What about the little cuzzes?" 

"Well, with the extra money I'm earning, it can go towards Reggie and Otto's college educations." 

"Ahh, you can't go wrong there, bruddah. Education is very important." 

"I'm not _too_ worried over Reggie. She's pretty smart when it comes to her schoolwork and I just know she can get a scholarship to any university she sets her mind to, especially with her having such a strong interest in Journalism…" 

Tito sensed that there was more to what Ray had said and gave him a curious look. "But?" 

"But, it's Otto I'm worried about. He doesn't make the best grades in the world. All he's into are extreme sports. I mean, Reggie is too, but she still keeps her grades up and is working very hard towards earning a scholarship. She even got a good score on her SATs and have already put in college applications. 

"Twister doesn't really make good grades either, but according to what Raul has told me, he's getting a bit better, not counting math and science. Raul even told me that Twister is starting to apply himself more in school and even mentioned to him that he wanted to get a math tutor. Twister's goal is to bring his two Ds up before the school year ends." 

"Wow, I didn't know the little cuz was really getting that serious about his school work." 

"Let's see…Sam, forget it. He's always had good grades since he studies all of the time. Knowing him, he'll probably end up Valedictorian of his graduating class. It seems that they're all improving or working towards their futures except for Otto. His last report card was horrible. I hadn't seen so many Ds in all my life! The only course he has an A in is Health/PE." 

"Oh, he's improving all right, when it comes to his skating and surfing skills," Tito mumbled, tossing the rag he had used to wipe off the counter over his shoulder. "He has that competition in a couple of days, doesn't he?" 

"Yeah. I'm going to close up the shack early to go root him on." 

"Look on the bright side, Raymundo, at least Otto's grades aren't low enough for him to get kicked off any of his sports teams." 

"Yeah, I guess you're right, Tito, but I still don't want him to just get by…like his old man. Man, I wish he were more like his mother, like Reggie. Both of them look exactly like her, but when it comes to school, Otto, unfortunately, took after me." 

"I remember that, bruddah," Tito chuckled, his round belly shaking. "You'd ditch school just to surf sometimes! Any news of a monster swell, and boom, Raymundo is no where to be found! You'd ditch school for practically everything you found interesting!" 

"Don't _remind_ me," Ray groaned. 

"Speaking of the little cuzzes, they haven't been around as much." 

"Yeah, I've noticed. I have no idea what's going on with Otto. I've seen the other three, but Otto's been terribly scarce lately, and today, none of them came by. Twister didn't even come by for a breakfast burrito!" 

"Maybe they're studying for big tests, school is almost out for the summer." 

"Yeah, I guess so." Ray didn't want to admit it, but he was disappointed over the fact that Otto and the others didn't come by the shack as much. He really missed them hanging around like they did when they were younger. 'I guess they're just growing up,' he thought sullenly. 

"Well, what do ya know," Tito said with a smile while pointing. "Look over there." 

Ray looked to where Tito had pointed. He saw Reggie and Twister walking towards the amusement park. "Hey, it's the kids." 

"Looks like they're headed towards the amusement park, and they seem to be two short," Tito observed. 

"I wonder where Otto and Sam are. That seems a bit…strange. Don't you think? Twister _never_ hangs with Reggie without either Otto or Sam around. I mean, normally Otto hangs out with Twister, and Sam normally hangs out with Reggie, but I've never seen just those two hanging out together." He then thought, 'I wonder if he and Twister had a fight or an argument since Twister's not hanging around with him...' 

Tito gave Ray a knowing smile. "If you think about it for a moment, bruddah, maybe it wouldn't seem so strange that only those two are hanging out together. You've seen the way he acts towards lil Reg whenever he's here." 

Ray thought for a moment, scratching his head. He then shrugged to his friend. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Was that supposed to be some ancient Hawaiian saying?" 

"No, bruddah, it wasn't." Tito sighed and rolled his eyes. 'I don't know why I even bother.' 

"Hey, I should call them over." 

Ray waved his arms and was about to shout to the two when Tito stopped him by grasping his arm, dragging it back down. 

"No!!" 

"Bro, why not?" 

"Well, um…because, that's why." 

Ray folded his arms and narrowed his eyes at Tito. "Wow, what a persuasive argument, Tito," he retorted, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. 

"What I am _saying_ is that you should let them do their own thing, Ray. They're teenagers, after all. They will come around in their own time, or whenever Twister gets hungry for Chili Cheeseburgers." 

"Yeah, I guess you're right." 

"Of course I am!" Tito responded smugly. "When am I not right?" 

"Whenever you're wrong?" 

Tito laughed heartily. "Well, let's get to the next customer. We're going to have a busy night a plenty!" 

Ray nodded and tended to the next customer who still hadn't decided on whether or not she wanted Chili fries or Chili Cheese Fries. 

'I'm surprised Ray hasn't noticed the way he's been acting around Reggie whenever they are around here. He always stares at her, he seems to lose his train of thought - more than usual - when talking to her, and he doesn't seem to be hanging around Otto as much and a lot more around Reggie whenever they are here. That lil' cuz is crazy about that wahini. Knowing the naïve and oblivious Twister, he probably doesn't even realize it.' 

"TITO!!" 

"Oh, um, yeah bruddah?" 

"I need an order of Chili Fries and a Chili Cheeseburger pronto!" 

"Oh yeah, sorry about that," Tito apologized as he headed back to his grill...   
****   
A/N: Who knows what happened to their mother, but seems that everyone likes to use the "death" scenario. I guess it's due to the fact that it's the simplest theory to go by. I wish they would actually mention something about her in the show. All of these flashbacks Ray has and he never mentions anything about the kids' mother. Hopefully, though, we won't have to wait much longer. There have been quite a few unaired Rocket Power eps - which includes a Christmas ep - and then there's the third movie that's coming up (I heard it's supposed to be out sometime next month, though I'm not sure if it's supposed to be released in theatres or shown on Nick; hopefully, it'll be on Nick...I don't have any younger relatives that's a big fan of the show like I am ^^;). 

The group goes to Hawaii, Ray is apparently supposed to fall for someone there too, and we're supposed to find out about Reggie and Otto's mother. I'm really looking forward to that, now if only Nickelodeon would hurry up and air those eps and show that movie! Oh, and if you're wondering, the name of the movie is Island Of The Menehune. I'm sure a lot of you probably already knew about it, though. 

Oh, and in my opinion, from those flashbacks, I wouldn't be surprised if Ray and Tito's characters were older. Like for when this fic takes place, they'd probably already be _in_ their early 50s or something. I would put them in mid to late 40s present day. Eh, never mind. ^^ 


	8. Chapter 08: Forget About Otto: Reggie an...

Okay, time for the next installment, and for this chapter, Reggie and Twister are just enjoying themselves at the amusement park, trying their best to get their minds off of all that happened dealing with Otto. That's pretty much all that happens for this chapter. Oh, there is Twister x Reggie hinting for this chapter, some for the next too. BTW, you only have to hold out for a bit longer until you see what Otto's problem is. Only three more chapters. ^^

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with Rocket Power. Klasky-Csupo has that honor.   


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Chapter 8: Forget About Otto: Reggie and Twister's Attempts!

"What should we get on first?" Reg asked after they entered the amusement park located at the end of the Pier. 

"It doesn't really matter to me. Let's ride on everything!" 

Reggie laughed a bit. "I don't think we have the time for that." 

Twister thought for a moment and then grinned. "Okay, al_most_ everything." 

She nodded. "I'm all for that. How about we get on the Merry-go-round first?" 

"Okay, Reg." 

The two ran over to the carousel. It was pretty much the only ride at the seaside amusement park where a ticket wasn't needed, like the Ferris Wheel. The line was also never long since it was such a simple, old-fashioned ride. 

When the two got on, Reggie rode in the carriage car and Twister got on one of the horses nearby. Reggie always enjoyed riding on the carousel. It took her back to her relaxed days, when life didn't seem so complicated and where her brother didn't seem to hate her. It always left her mind at ease. 

The ride also reminded her of an important person who was once very close to herher mother. As a child, her mother used to take her to the amusement park all of the time and her mother would always take her on the carousel. Reggie remembered the first time her mother took her to the amusement park. It was just she and her mother - Otto was spending the day with Ray in the doctor's office for an injury he had received while trying to skateboard (he was first learning), so he missed out on going - and she took Reggie on the carousel. Her mother would talk of how she always loved the simplistic ride and how it reminded her of carefree times. 

Her mother wasn't into the big, scary rides, like the roller coasters. Whenever Otto would go along with them, he would always complain about wanting to ride the big rides that he was much too small for anyway and would call Reggie a baby for liking something as boring as a carousel. Even back then Otto was into the extremities, like their father who had the saying, "Go big, or don't go at all." Otto definitely lived by that logic. 

She was quiet as she sat back and enjoyed the ride, the wind blowing through her short, thick hair and her eyes closed, as if in a dream world.

Twister, as well as Otto and Sam, noticed this about Reggie and all three always wondered why she was so into riding on the Merry-go-round. Whenever they all went, they couldn't leave without riding on the carousel. 

Sam was all for it since it was "safe." Otto would just grumble, and complain about how it was a "baby ride for lame-os." Twister never said much of anything since he actually liked riding the carousel, but, of course, he would agree with everything Otto said so that he wouldn't get ragged on by him, like Otto would with Sammy. Otto would stay on his case until Reggie would tell him to lay off, which he always surprisingly did. Otto knew better than to rag on Reggie. 

The ride was nearing the end and Reggie remained quiet. Twister wanted to ask her why she seemed to get so spaced out whenever riding on the carousel, but decided against it since she seemed so content and carefree. 

The ride finally ended, and Reggie's nostalgic trip was over. She stood up, almost regrettably, and exited, as did Twister. She wasn't ready for the ride to end. Without her realizing it, a small frown appeared on the young girl's face. Twister noticed when he glanced over at her as they were walking away from the 19th century based ride. 

"Reg, what's wrong?" 

Reggie looked over at him. "What makes you think something is wrong?" she asked dully. 

"Well, you sorta have a frown on your face." 

"It's nothing," she said quickly as she went back to staring straight ahead. She wasn't about to tell Twister of all people how the carousel meant so much to her. He would probably think she was lame if she had. 

"No, it's something, Rocket Girl." Twister grabbed her shoulder to stop her from walking any further, just as he had stopped. "If something is wrong, you should tell someone." 

She thought for a moment as she turned to face him. Should she explain why the carousel meant so much to her? 

"Does it have something to do with why you like riding on the Merry-go-round so much?" 

The girl stared at the boy, a shocked look evident in her eyes. Twister was _that_ observant? Since when did _he_ notice anything outside of fish tacos and getting the best video footage? "Um---I---" 

He felt awkward from holding on the girl's bare shoulder, so Twister let go of her and took off his hat. He started to fiddle around with it nervously and stared down at the ground. "I-I'm your friend, R-Reggie. If something is wrong, you-you can tell me." 

A confused expression appeared on Reggie's face. She found Twister's concern over her welfare a bit surprising. She always knew that he was a kind, caring person, but this was still weird to her. 

Deciding that she shouldn't bother trying to figure her younger friend out, she gave Twister a half-smile. He was acting like a good friend; that's all that should've really mattered, no matter how strange it seemed to her. "WellI'll tell you later," she said quickly. She figured that as scatterbrained as Twister was, that he'd probably forget all about it if distracted from the subject long enough. "Now, let's get on some of the extreme rides!! The roller coasters!!" 

Twister put his hat back on and nodded. "Yeah!! The biggest and fastest ones in the entire park!" He was ready for some action packed rides, or what he liked to call them, "Squid Hurler," rides. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

An hour had almost past since Twist and Reg had been in the park and the two rode on everything that they possibly could that weren't infested with shoobies. Reggie was having so much fun, she had forgotten all about Otto and everything that had occurred that day dealing with himalmost. She had other things on her mind now, like trying to figure out why Twister was acting so differently, and she also had the feeling that she was forgetting something important. 

Getting tickets for the rides had been done in another way, mainly because Twister did something a bit surprising to the girl. After the carousel, they headed over to the Torpedo ride. Twister offered to get her ticket for the ride and any other they rode after it. Reggie kept telling the boy not to worry about buying her tickets for the rides and that she could buy her own. Twister only shook his head and then said, in a gentleman like fashion that he insisted, that he wanted to, and that he wouldn't take no for an answer. 

After Reggie heard him say that, she blinked, a perplexed expression etched to her round face. Reggie shook off her confused thoughts, and told Twister "no." He kept insisting and was quite adamant on buying tickets for her. She gave in since he _did_ seem so anxious, and told him that he could only buy two tickets for her, and that she'd pay for the rest of her rides. He reluctantly agreed. She wouldn't want him to use all of his money up on her when she was capable of taking care of herself and buying her own tickets. She also knew of Twister's saving up for some new state-of-the-art video equipment. 

"Wow, we've been here all evening. The sun is going to set soon and we haven't even eaten anything yet," Reggie said, staring up in the sky at the slowly setting sun. 

"I'm hungry too." He started to rub his tummy and lick his lips. "I could sure go for one of Tito's Limburger Mackerel Fish Tacos! ¡Ese taco es el mejor de todo el _mundo_!" He then sighed dreamily, "¡Muy delicioso!"   
****   
RP: That translates to "That taco is the best in the _world_! Very delicious!" Now, if I wrote that wrong, please feel free to correct me. I may take Spanish, but I still make mistakes, especially when it comes to where I would put accent marks and my verb conjugations, but I'm pretty sure that's right. ^^   
****   
Reggie scrunched up her nose at the thought. That had to have been the worst combination of food concocted by Tito _ever_! Even Sam wouldn't touch it and he liked pretty much anything that was edible. Twister was the only person she knew of that actually liked the Limburger Mackerel Fish Tacos. He was also the only person she knew who passionately liked the plain old fish tacos as well. She always found that aspect about him quite strange. For someone who didn't like fish, he sure liked fish tacos a lot, but not as much as he did gas station bean burritos. Reggie inwardly shook her head. Those foods were so unhealthy, but you would never guess that Twister ate stuff like that on a regular basis since he was such a slim guy. 

"I think I'll pass on that," Reggie told her companion dryly. She would _definitely_ have to distract him from those tacos if he was going to eat around her. The smell of it was absolutely horrid. 'What was Tito thinking coming up with something like that,' she would ask herself at times. She was grateful that it wasn't a part of the Shore Shack's menu. "So, how about we hit one last ride before hitting the shack?" 

"Yeah!!" Twister pointed ahead of them, an anticipating grin on his face. "The _Ti_dal Wave!! The highest and fastest roller coaster in _all_ of Ocean Shores!! It has the deepest drops, six loops, and the speed is _totally_ awesome!! We have to get a ticket for this thing!!" 

"Thanks for the summary, but I want to ride, not talk! C'mon, Twist!" 

Reggie jogged up ahead of Twister. "Huh? Oh yeah, okay!!" Twister jogged after her, trying his best to catch up, but he was still a few paces behind. 

She looked back. "Hey, with all of those loops, how are you going to wear your hat? It might fall off during the ride." 

"Don't worry about that, Reg. I'll just sit on it during the ride!" 

"Nice," Reggie said, turning her head frontwards once again. 'Well, what else would he have said? Why was I expecting him to say more?' 

"There's no guarantee that the hooks'll hold to keep it on. See, I have two small holes on the sides of my hat and," he went through his pocket and took out a thick piece of string which had a hook tied on each end, "I have this. I hook them on to my hat, tie it on, and it'll keep it from flying off my head, but I still don't want to take any chances with the Tidal Wave, so I'll just sit on it!" 

'Okay, that's the explanation I was expecting from him. Something a bit more imaginative or just plain silly.' She looked back at him and gave him another smile. "Quite ingenious, Twister." 

When they got to the line, Twister frowned. "Aww man!! The line is long and full of _shoobie_ kooks!" He held his head in frustration. "Where do they all come from!" 

"So much for _this_ ride." 

"No way, let's get on at least one more ride before we go." He looked around, scanning the rides that were near them, when something caught his eye. A bright sign with blood-red neon lights. "Hey, let's go on that haunted cave ride!" 

"The Cave of Terror? That ride that's supposed to be haunted by a family that got trapped in there years ago whose bodies were never found?" He nodded. "I've never been on it. Have you?" He shook his head. "How come we've never gone before?" 

"Because by now, the Squid would be totally sick, yakking all over the place." 

Reggie laughed a bit. He was right. The two made their way over to the Cave of Terror ride. It was pretty much supposed to be a boat ride through a cave that's supposed to scare one to death, surprises at every turn. 

The two stood in line; only about four people were in front of them. Reggie assumed that people only liked to go on this type of a ride when night had completely fallen so that it would seem spookier. 

The line moved along fairly quickly and they saw others who had ridden the ride come out with horrified looks on their faces. Others didn't seem fazed at all, and some just laughed about the cheesy effects. As for the ride itself, the two _did_ hear some screams coming from inside the cave, but they weren't sure if it belonged to whatever was supposed to have been haunting it or the actual riders. 

"Hey, I just noticed that it's two people to a boat car," Reg pointed out, noticing the people in front of them seating themselves into the small boat. It looked like one you would find for rides like the Tunnel of Love, only it wasn't shaped like a swan. 

"If the Squid or Ottoman were here with us, they would have to ride in the next one." 

After the short wait, the two had finally made it to the front of the line. Twister bought the tickets for the both of them. 

"It sure looks d-d-dark in there," Twister gulped as he looked towards the cave's entrance, nearly dropping the tickets due to his trembling hands. 

"Don't tell me you're _scared_," Reggie teased. 

Twister puffed up his chest and deepened his voice. "I'm not scared of anything." 

"Oh _really_?" Reggie gave him a crafty look. "What about," she playfully narrowed her eyes, leaned in close to him, and whispered, "giant monkeys?" 

"Ahh!! Giant monkeys!?!" the boy nearly screamed while looking around fearfully. "Where, _where_!?!" 

Reggie laughed. "C'mon Twist, it's our turn to ride." 

"Are you _sure_ there aren't any giant monkeys?" 

Reggie grabbed the boy's hand and pulled him along and gave him an earnest smile. "C'mon." She also grabbed the tickets from him and gave it to the man who operated the ride. 

The two seated themselves into the boat - no seatbelts were necessary since it was supposed to be a slow ride - Twister being a bit apprehensive since the thought of giant monkeys still scared him. Why he had a fear of them in general was a mystery to all who knew of it since he never once discussed it. Reggie, Otto, and Sam all assumed that Lars had frightened him in some way when he was a kid, and the fear just stuck with him. 

The boat started to drift slowly into the mouth of the cave. 

"No giant monkeys?" Twister asked in a daze as they entered the dimly lit tunnel... 


	9. Chapter 09: Operation Ask Out Regina & M...

Thanks for the reviews and welcome back, all. I'm glad my Spanish was right. I plan on using some more throughout this fic with both Twister and with Lars. Twister is going to say something to Reggie that he surprises himself with, only Reggie won't know what it means since he says it in Spanish, and then tries to cover it up. I think I'll have that happen in chapter 12, or I'll probably add it on to chapter 10 since I want Otto to encounter Reggie and Twist again for 12. Chapter 11 will be all Otto-focused. ^_^ I probably should just shut up now. lol

Oh, just thought I'd mention something about the monkey thing dealing with Twister. I think he has a small fear of monkeys in general. In Double O Twister-vision, he got a sort of apprehensive look after Otto said a monkey could make a better movie. Well, I personally always thought so since he did get a worried look after Otto mentioned it. ^^

Now, back to the relevant stuff. For this chapter, Sherry, Trish, and Trent make their debuts and it's obvious that Trent has a thing for Reggie, blah, blah, blah. That was mentioned earlier. lol Later on, there's a chance that Lars might have a small thing for everyone's favorite Rocket Girl as well. 

Well, enjoy your Thanksgiving treat, (hey, I did update much earlier than what I would normally, so be thankful for that. lol), and don't forget to watch the Rocket Power movies on November 28, and don't forget about the Rocket Power Christmas special that airs on December 9 at 8:30 pm, Eastern Standard Time, on Nickelodeon. ^_^

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with Rocket Power. Klasky-Csupo has that honor. 

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Chapter 9: Operation Ask Out Regina & Misunderstandings...

"Hey, Sherry!" a girl with long, dark hair wearing a yellow t-shirt and a pair of long beige shorts called running towards the entrance of the amusement park. 

"Hey girlfriend!" the blonde-haired girl wearing the gold, dangly earings, red mid-driff and red skirt greeted back with a high-five. "Glad you could make it, Trish." 

"Hey, where's Reggie, and what did you say about Trent being the fourth member of our party?" 

"Well, ugh, he's sorta coming here tonight." 

"No wait, don't tell me you were serious about hooking up Reggie with Trent!!" 

Sherry gave her friend a bashful laugh. "Well yeah, why not?" 

The petite girl shook her head, her long straight dark brown hair swishing from side to side. "I don't think playing matchmaker is a good idea, Sher. You really shouldn't mess with that kind of thing. It's meddling." 

"You worry too much, Trish." Sherry kept her eye on every person that entered the park. She then looked down at her watch. "Man, where is Reggie!" she huffed. "I can't believe she hasn't shown up yet!" 

Trish crossed her arms and gave her friend a small sneer. "She probably saw through your scheme to try and hook her up with Trent!" 

"_Scheme_?" the girl asked innocently. "What scheme? What's wrong with four friends hanging out together?" 

"Because there's always more to it whenever Trent is involved! You knew he was going to be here tonight and you probably told Reggie. Why didn't you tell me anyway?" 

"First of all, Reggie doesn't know that Trent's coming, and second, I didn't tell you because I wasn't supposed to." 

"Wasn't supposed to tell me what?" 

"Okay, I'll tell you, only because you're my best friend, but don't let it get out and don't let Trent know that you know." 

"Spill it, girlfriend!" Trish urged. The quiet, reserved girl normally wasn't into the gossip thing and would normally avoid it, which was pretty difficult since Sherry was her best friend, but there were exceptions, and this was definitely one of them. 

Sherry looked around furtively to make sure no one else would hear her, and pulled Trish aside. 

She then whispered, "Trent is _totally_ into Reggie! He asked me if I could get her here tonight, and that he'll do the rest. He was going to bump into me, you, and Reg and then you and I would go off to ride whatever, which would leave Reggie alone with Trent." 

After hearing all that was told to her, Trish got a somewhat surprised look on her face. This news was unusual to the girl, especially since gossip from Sherry normally consisted of her hearing it from a friend of a friend, and so forth. This piece of gossipy information seemed to be the honest truth. 

"Whoa, are you serious!!" Sherry nodded. "So this matchmaker plan wasn't your idea, but his?" She nodded again. "Wow," was all the girl could say. Another question then came to mind. "How come he told you?" 

Sherry smiled proudly. "Because _I'm_ Reggie's best friend." 

"So am I!" 

"True, but you're not the type to play matchmaker. You always stay out of it, whereas I," she giggled playfully, "_love_ to play matchmaker!" 

"So, only _you_ know about it?" She was still having a tough time believing what her friend was telling her. 

"Yeah!" The girl giggled. "Reg is going to definitely be surprised!! He's finally going to ask her out! This is going to be awesome!!" 

"It's about time, too!!" She thought for a moment. "Wait a minute, if Trent didn't want anyone to know about it, how come you told Reggie that he likes her? You tell her that all the time." 

"Exactly!!" 

"Huh?" 

"I tell her that all the time. It's an everyday thing with me, and Reggie never believes me anyway whenever I do say it." 

"Oh," Trish answered plainly. "So, any word on Otto?" 

"No, he's still acting like a major dork and Reg still doesn't know why. I know she says she doesn't care, but I know she does. The two of them have always been close, especially after their mother died." 

"Yeah, I remember that," Trish nodded slowly. "Reggie started to spend a lot more time with him after that. I think Twister started to hang around a lot more too after their mother died. He always hanged out with Otto, but even more after that. Otto seemed to always have him over whenever we would go over to visit Reg." 

Sherry laughed. "I'm surprised Mr. Rocket hasn't adopted him yet!" 

"Adopted who?" a voice asked from behind the two girls, causing them to jump. 

They turned around to see a handsome New Zealander wearing a black muscle shirt, a pair of dark green shorts, and a pair of flip-flops, like had just come from the beach. He had shoulder-lengthened light brown hair tied back into a ponytail, nice tan skin, and was pretty well built. 

"Oh, hey Trent," Trish greeted. 

She was pretty much used of him by now, so she didn't feel like fainting whenever he would grace her with his presence or go into "Regina" mode. The same went for Sherry. Both agreed that the boy was a total hottie, but they only liked him as a friend, unlike the other girls at their school who would throw themselves at him or go out of their ways just to get a seat by him in the lunchroom or at school assemblies. Trish found it interesting how he ignored them as if it was nothing. At lunch, he would always sit with Reggie, along with she and Sherry, and sometimes Sam or other members of the Rugby or Soccer teams. 

"You _scared_ us!" 

"Oh, I'm sorry, Trish," he apologized with a smile that all of the girls at their high school would kill just to see. 

"That's okay," Sherry said, turning to face the much taller boy. 

"What a coincidence running into you three here," he replied casually. 

Trish gave him a curious look. "Three?" 

"Yeah," Trent nodded. "You, Sherry, and Reggie." He looked around. "She is here with you, isn't she? Did she go to the restroom or a concession stand?" 

"I'm sorry, Trent, but I think she's still a bit bummed out over some things. I invited her to hang with Trish and me, but she said that there was no guarantee that she would make it. She would've been here by now if she was planning on coming." 

Trent didn't say much of anything, other than a disappointed, "Oh." 

Trish studied Trent and she could tell that he looked really upset over the fact Reggie wasn't there. He had finally gotten the nerve to ask Reggie out, and now he would have to regain that nerve all over again to ask at another time. "Well, you know, we could go ride on something while we're here." 

"Sure, sure," Trent said quickly with a forced smile. Even his forced smiles were handsome. "You two can be my dates for the evening," he said with a playful laugh. 

"Right on!" Sherry cheered. 

"Let's go hit the roller coasters!" Trish suggested. 

With that, the three friends went off in the direction of the Tidal Wave, which was right near the Cave of Terror ride. 

"Oh man, this line is long!" 

"We could still wait around and ride it, Trish," Sherry said. 

"I guess so." Trish folded her arms in disgust. She liked action, and standing in line wasn't the type of action she had in mind. 

"Calm down, Trish," Trent told the girl, resting a hand on her shoulder, "we'll get up there eventually. I bet it won't even seem like a long wait." 

"Yeah, I guess so." 

Sherry, at this time, was very quiet. That was a first for her. Out of the three of them - she, Reggie, and Trish - she was definitely the loudest. Trish was the quietest, and Reggie was pretty much in the middle. Reggie was normally only loud when she felt something wasn't being done fairly, like the time she spoke out against Gnarly Surf magazine for their lack of coverage on female surfers. 

Sherry started to look around and noticed the Cave of Terror ride, its bright lights standing out. She was about to suggest they ride on it, when something caught her eye. 

She pointed. "Hey, look over there!" 

Both Trent and Trish looked over to where the girl had pointed. They saw one of the boats exiting the ride. 

"Is that Reggieon that haunted ride?" Trish asked. 

There was no doubt about it. Reggie's shades and conspicuous hair gave her away. 

"Who's that beside her?" Sherry asked, trying to get a better look. "Looks like some guy and," she gasped, "he has his arms around her!!" 

"Whoa, that's Twister!! I'd recognize that hat of his anywhere!!" 

"No way, Trish, it couldn't be!!" 

Trent's mouth nearly dropped at what he was seeing. 'Twister? He's' 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

The ride was now nearing the end, and Twister and Reggie's small boat was exiting the cave. It was pretty nerve-wracking. A lot of things jumped out at you, like bats, ghosts of the victims that supposedly haunted the cave, witches, and vampires. Of course one couldn't help but scream if something caught him or her off guard. Both had done plenty of screaming with all of the things jumping out at them. 

"Thank goodness," Twister sighed out in relief, "no giant monkeys and no brain sucking glow worms." 

"Um, Tw-Twist," Reggie stammered slightly, "you can let go of me now." 

Twister looked over to his side and finally realized that he was, indeed, hugging on Reggie. At the very end of the ride, before they exited the cave, Twister saw a shadow that resembled a "giant monkey." He hugged onto Reggie without hesitation and screamed slightly. He was a bit jumpy for the ride in general, but that shadow was a bit too much for him. After exiting the cave, Twister had realized that it wasn't a giant monkey trying to eat him. 

His face went red as he slowly let go of her. A part of him didn't want to let go; he, surprisingly, enjoyed having Reggie in his arms, but he knew it would be the appropriate thing to do by letting her go. Besides, it wasn't normal to hug on your friends in such a fashion. 

"Um, sorry Reg," he apologized hastily, yet timidly. 

"That's okay," she smiled at him as she stood up to leave, trying to remain relaxed and casual. 'He was just a bit jumpy from the ride. It's no big dealright? He's Twister and of course it's no big deal that he hugged me just now! We're only friends! He's like my brother' her mind wandered '...but I felt so content while he held me. I felt so carefree and safe. I almost didn't want him to let gono, no, no, _no_!! Like I said earlier, he's like my brother and nothing more!!' 

Twister followed suit and stepped off so that the next two people could ride. 

"Umso, uh, wanna get something to e---" 

"It's getting closer to sunset," Reggie interrupted the jumpy boy. She really wanted to get rid of the uneasiness she now had from Twister's hug; an uneasiness she felt should've never been there in the first place. "The sun is almost down, and the lights will be lighting up soon on the Ferris Wheel, so let's go on it so that we can get a good view of the sunset. Other than my favorite spot down on the beach, the Ferris Wheel is the second best place to go to watch the sun set. It'll be really pretty." 

"Okay." 

Reg grabbed Twister's hand and pulled him along towards the ride. She was very anxious to get on. While Reg was pulling on the boy, Twister's face had gone partially red again. She was holding his hand!! Earlier when she had done this, he was too worried about giant monkeys to even notice. 

'It's no big deal!! She's grabbed my hand plenty of times! This time shouldn't be any different. _Damnit_, why do I always feel this way when I'm around her! The least little thing she does makes me act like such a _lame_-o!' 

They finally arrived at the big wheel, and luckily for them, they made it just in time to get into the last empty basket. 

"Yay, we made it!" Reggie cheered as she sat down. Twister nodded with a goofy grin on his face and sat down beside her. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

"Hey, they headed over to the Ferris Wheel," Sherry pointed out. She and Trish were planning on asking if they wanted to hang out with them, but Reggie and Twister ran off so fast, they didn't even see them when Sherry called to the two. 

"So they did," Trent distantly replied, as if his mind was elsewhere. 

"Yo, Trent, are you feeling okay?" Trish asked. 

"Sure, mate, sure," he managed to say. 

"Maybe Reg was on her way to meet up with us and ran into Twister," Sherry theorized. "And since Reg was already coming here, he decided to join her. They probably looked for us, but we just ended up missing each other." 

"Yeah, so he did" 

'Wow, he looks incredibly disappointed,' Trish thought as she stared over at Trent. 'I can't believe that Twist was hugging on Reg like that!' 

"Sowhat do you want to do now?" Sherry asked, breaking the now awkward silence that they were sharing. 

"I'm kind of wiped out from my surf meet. I think I'll go home and rest up. I only have one more day of practice before that surf competition and I'm in the first heat." 

"Alright," Sherry muttered. She was a bit upset over the fact that everything hadn't gone as planned. 

Trent gave them another forced smile before walking off. "Later, girls," he waved to the two. 'I just can't believe what I saw! Rodriguez was hugging on Reg! I just can't believe it.' Another thought then came to the New Zealander's mind. 'Oh no!! What else did they do while in that tunnel!! No, Reggie! She couldn't be with him!! She would've mentioned it. Maybe this is all just a serious misunderstandingmaybe it's not what it looks like. I really hope it's all just a mix-up' 

"Bye Trent!" the two called to the boy. 

"Wow, he was seriously bummed out," Trish said after the boy had left them. His head was hanging, and his back was hunched over a bit. 

"Oh my gosh!" Sherry nearly squealed, jumping up and down in place while clapping her hands. "Twister and Reggie!! Can you believe it?!" 

"It just _can't_ be true! Twister is like her brother! He's like Otto's twin, only he has red hair, taller, and isn't acting like a jerk towards Reggie!" 

"We have some investigating to do!" 

Trish waved her hands in protest and shook her head. "Oh no, Sher! I am _not_ going to spy on Reggie!" 

"But we have to find out what's going on!" 

"I like to ride waves, not make them. Reg would go aggro on us if she caught us spying on her." 

"But don't you want to know?" 

"Yes," she said slowly; Trish couldn't deny it, she _was_ terribly curious, "but I'm sure she'll tell us." 

"But I want to know now!" 

"Calm down, girlfriend. Let's go to the shack. I'll buy you a shake." 

The girl crossed her arms stubbornly and grumbled, "Whatever." 

Trish grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her along towards the exit of the park   
****   
A/N: I don't know why I could see Otto being the one to hold back his feelings over his mother and stuff. I guess it's due to the fact that he always acts so tough, and if anyone was to ever catch him crying, he would definitely try his best to "play it off." lol He just seems like the type who would bottle his emotions instead of sharing them. 


	10. Chapter 10: True Feelings Revealed?

This chapter ended up a bit long since I rearranged some things since I really wanted Otto to encounter Reggie and Twister again for chapter 12. I wouldn't have been able to do that if I had kept it the way I had originally. Oh, never mind. Just read. ^_^

For this chapter, it is just showing what Twist and Reg does after they leave the amusement park. Nothing more, nothing less.

Something else, just like before, I use a bit 'o Spanish, so feel free to correct me if I wrote anything, well, wrong. I wouldn't put it past me if I did get something a bit wrong, like the stuff I didn't ask about. ^^

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with Rocket Power. Klasky-Csupo has that honor. 

* * *

Chapter 10: True Feelings Revealed? 

They finally arrived at the big wheel, and luckily for them, they made it just in time to get into the last empty basket. 

"Yay, we made it!" Reggie cheered as she sat down. 

Twister nodded with a goofy grin on his face and sat down beside her. 

"Oh, isn't the sunset beautiful from here?" Reggie asked Twister when they reached the top. 

'Not as beautiful as you,' the boy thought without realizing it. He inwardly slapped himself. 'No, Reggie is _not_ beautiful!! She is _not_ pretty!! She is my friend! Friends aren't supposed to be pretty!' 

"Twister?" 

"Oh, yeah, it's nice looking," the boy said quickly. 

Reggie wasn't convinced. "Twister, what's wrong?" 

'I can't get you off of my mind and I can't figure out why; _that's_ what's wrong!' he felt like saying, but he came up with something else. "Um, I was wondering why you like the Merry-go-round so much." 

Reggie nearly gasped. 'He re_mem_bered?!? I didn't distract him long enough to forget about it?' 

"Reggie?" 

"Um---" 

"You said that you would tell me later and it's later." 

"Why do you want to know?" 

"I guess I'm a little curious. I've always been curious. You're a Rocket; Rockets normally like fast and extreme stuff." 

"You mean Otto and Ray_mun_do like fast and extreme stuff. I do too, but the Merry-go-round, it---" 

Twister stared at her, awaiting an answer. "It what?" 

"Wellit means a lot to me, that's all," she responded softly as she enchantingly stared out at the sky filled with pink and peach overtones from the setting sun. 'Twister is a sensitive and caring guy. He probably wouldn't think of me as lame if I told him about it. Come to think of it, Sammy probably wouldn't either.' 

"But how can a ride like that mean so much to you?" 

The girl sighed and looked over at Twister. He actually sounded more concerned than curious, but his eyes showed extreme interest. She finally decided to tell the boy why the carousel meant so much to her and how her mother loved it. Twister listened attentively as she told him the entire story. 

"How come you never told that story before?" 

"WellI assumed that you guys would've thought of me as lame if I had." 

"_Lame_? Why would you think that? That wasn't lame and you're not lame." 

"I don't know why I never talked about it or why I thought that it would be lame if I did. It's just that Otto never likes to hear stories about mom much and he doesn't talk about her, so I could never talk about this with him, and Raymundo's always busy, and when we do start talking about her, he normally does all of the talking, telling me stories about the times he and my mom shared back in 'the good old days'." 

"I still don't know why you thought that would be lame. It's good that you remember something that your mother liked." 

"Hey, you and Otto have been best bros for a long time, has he ever talked about mom with you?" Twister racked his mind, thinking back to when he and Otto were little kids. 'If anyone would know, Twister would.' 

"I don't think he's ever talked about her. I don't even remember her all that well. I do remember that after she died, that's when Otto started shredding more and got me into it too!" 

"Yeah, you're right! He did start skating more after mom died!" Reggie started to think over what Twister had said, 'I wonder if---' but it didn't last long since the Ferris Wheel came to a stop. 

"Yo, Rocket Girl, it's time to get off." 

Reggie jerked her head up, her thoughts broken, and saw that Twister was standing up. She stood up and started to walk out behind him. When she was about to step out, she lost her balance and almost fell back into her seat. Twister, with his fast reflexes, grabbed her hand. 

"Are you all right, Reg?" 

"Um, yeah, sure," she managed to say, her face growing hot and slightly flushed. She hoped that he wouldn't notice. 'This is just Twister. Why am I reacting in this way just because he's helping me?' 

He helped her up and she stepped out of the Ferris Wheel basket. 

"Thank you," Reggie said while avoiding looking at the boy, after he let go of her hand, a nervous quirk in her voice. "How about we hit the shack now?" 

"Yeah!" Twister cheered. "I can't wait to eat some of those Chili Cheeseburgers!" 

Reggie was glad he hadn't noticed her reddened cheeks. He was obviously too hungry to notice much of anything. "Well, let's hurry then!" 

"All right!" Twister rooted over the rumbling of his empty stomach. 

The two rushed out of the park and hurried themselves to the Shore Shack. There weren't nearly as many customers around at this point, but most of the tables were still filled with a handsome amount of tourists and shoobies. 'They probably all went to the amusement park or the movies,' Reggie thought as they entered the friendly seaside restaurant. 

"Aloha 'lil cuzzes!!" a cheery voiced belonging to a certain chubby Hawaiian called to them loudly from behind the counter. "Hey Raymundo, look at what the tide washed in." 

Ray looked up from the soda fountain and smiled. "Hey kids!" 

"Hey Raymundo, hey Tito," the two children greeted as they sat on the stools in front of the counter. It was pretty much the only place left too sit.

"Tito and I were wondering where you kids were." 

"We just had some homework to do," Reggie said quickly. 

"Studying really hard, eh 'lil cuzzes?" 

"Yeah, since we'll be taking finals pretty soon." 

Tito smiled at the two proudly. "So, what will our future journalist and film director and/or cinematographer like for dinner?" 

"Five Limburger Mackerel Fish Tacos!" 

Reggie's eyes went wide as she dynamically shook her head. "Oh no you're not!" she threatened, waving a finger at the hat-wearing boy. "If you want to stay here, you are not going to eat that smelly stuff around me!" 

Twister lowered his head. "Aww man~~" 

Ray laughed, and whispered to the two, "If Tito made that, we wouldn't have to worry about the Shoobie Rush." 

"Okay, okaysince I can't have that, I want a humungo order of fries and a giant double Chili Bacon Cheeseburger, extra spicy, with a giant coke!" 

"Coming right up, 'lil cuz." 

"How about you, Reg?" Ray asked, handing Twister his soda. 

"Well, dad, I want a Hula Burger, a small order of fries, a garden salad with Italian dressing, and some water." 

"A _salad_?!" 

"Well, I'm trying to eat a bit healthier, that's all," Reggie told the boy simply as Ray handed her a bottled water while Tito got started on the two teens' orders. 

"I saw you two earlier headed towards the amusement park," Ray propped his arm up on the counter, his chin resting in the palm of his right hand, "where are Sam and Otto?" 

"Well, um, Otto, he---" 

"It was a spur of the moment thing," Twister interrupted while Reggie unscrewed the top of her bottled water. He could tell that Reggie was at a loss for words and probably didn't want to tell Ray exactly what had happened with Otto earlier that afternoon. "We just decided to go. The O-man is probably still practicing for the competition on Saturday, and," he shuddered slightly, "the Squid is probably studying." 

"What's wrong with studying?" 

"Nothing, Raymundo. Hanging here at the Pier is just more fun." Twister went back to drinking on his coke. 

"Well, you guys are pretty mature and responsible." Right at that moment, Twister gave out a loud belch, which caused Ray to wrinkle up his nose. 'What's with this kid and his manners,' Ray thought as Twister went back to his drink. "Um, _Reggie_ is pretty responsible and mature, and she'll make sure you and Otto'll get your work done." 

"That's always been the case, dad." The girl then turned her attention to Twister and started to mock the boy. "I have to baby-sit wittle Twister and make sure he stays out of twouble." She squeezed his left cheek, since he was seated on her right, and laughed playfully. 

The boy stopped drinking on his soda and protested. "I do _not_ need a baby-sitter, and the name is MauriceI mean Twister!!" 

"I'm just joshing ya, Twist." She turned her attention back to Ray and swallowed down some of her water. "We got on the most _awesome_ ride!! The Cave of Terror!" 

"I don't know if I like the sound of that, Rocket Girl." 

"Ray_mun_do, just because you're scared of haunted rides, doesn't mean that _I_ am." 

"What's this ride supposed to be about anyway?" 

"The ride is haunted by this family who went exploring in this cave while on a camping trip, but they never came out! It is said that the most ferocious monsters and beasts killed them, and that to this day, that their bodies have never been found. The family is still around, haunting the place, trying to find their way out of the cave." 

Reggie finished up the tale with a spooky laugh, which made Ray shudder as he handed the girl her fresh, crisp garden salad. 

"I thought that sounded familiar. You and Twister actually _rode_ it?!" 

"Yep, sure did. It was scary _and_ fun!" She poured the Italian dressing on her salad. "Especially the part towards the end of the ride with that weird shadow on the wall!" 

Twister nearly choked on his drink after hearing the girl say such a thing. That was when he held her in his arms. That just didn't sound right. Was she really talking about the shadow on the wall, or was it her subtle way of saying she enjoyed the sudden hug from him. 

"What was so special about it?" Ray asked. 

She took a couple of bites of her salad before answering. "Well, it made your imagination run wild! When I saw the shadow at the end of the ride, it looked like a headless man, and Twister, I'm assuming, thought it was a Giant Monkey." 

"Ehehehe," the boy laughed bashfully, feeling a bit embarrassed over the fact that it was so obvious that he had a fear of giant monkeys. "Can I have some more to drink please, Raymundo?" 

"Sure," the man nodded as he took the boy's empty cup, refilling it. 

"Here we are lil cuzzes," Tito announced, walking out with two plates. "One giant extra spicy double Chili Bacon Cheeseburger combo for Twister, and a hula burger, and small fry for my fav lil' wahini cuz." 

"All right!" Twister said while rubbing his hands together in anticipation. 

"Thanks, Tito." 

"¡Muchas gracias, Tito!" 

"You're welcome." At this point, Twister had taken a big bite out of his burger and Reggie was still eating on her small salad, nearly finishing it. "Oh, I just remembered something, your friends came by before you two got here." 

"What fwiends, Tito?" Twister asked, his mouth full. 

"You _really_ need to work on your manners," Ray commented dryly as he handed the boy his soda. 

"Trish and Sherry came by for some shakes," Tito continued. 

"Oh my gosh!!" Reggie smacked her forehead. She now understood why she had the feeling that she was forgetting something; she had. "I totally forgot!! I was supposed to meet them at the park, but I was having so much fun with Twist, it slipped my mind! I guess I'll call them when I get home and explain what happened. I don't want the two to think I ditched them." 

"What are you two going to do after you leave here?" Ray asked. 

"I know what I want to do before I leave here," Twister grinned. "I want another Chili Bacon Cheeseburger, and then Tito can hook me up with an ice cream sundae." 

"You're starting to eat like Sammy!" 

"No need to worry about weight gain with Twister, Rocket Girl," Ray said with a friendly, yet envious, smile. He missed the good old days where he didn't have to worry about gaining weight. "As hyper as he is, he'll never have to worry about gaining." 

"Anyway, after here, we'll probably just go home," she took a swallow of her water, and started to eat some of her fries. "I still have some math homework to finish up." 

"I do too! Maybe we could do our math homework together, Reggie! Just like the Squid said, I could use the help and I always have math homework." 

"I guess you could come over tonight, if it's okay with Raymundo." 

"It's okay with me. You can stay the night if you want, just ask Raul and Sandy first." 

"Cool, Raymundo! Thanks." 

"You need to hurry up and eat if you want me to help you with your Geometry, Twist." 

"All right, all right, but you know, Reg," he gave her a sly grin, "tacos _are_ faster to eat---" 

"Don't!!" the girl threatened, putting her now half-eaten burger back down on her plate. There was no way she was going to let him eat Mackerel Limburger Fish tacos around her. 

"But if we leave after I finish my burger and fries, I won't have the time to eat a sundae," the boy sulked. 

"We can make one at home, now hurry up and eat!" 

Twister didn't argue as he inhaled his burger and fries, and gulped down the remainder of his cola. Reggie could only stare in wonder as she continued with her meal. She had no idea that Twister could eat in such a fashion. 

"Okay, I'm finished," the boy said with a burp, "but could I maybe get a Chili Bacon Cheeseburger to go?" 

"I'm way ahead of you, cuz," Tito said, handing the boy a Styrofoam container. Twister opened it and saw a double Chili Bacon Cheeseburger with the works inside of it. "Other than Sam, you're the only one I know who can eat two of my double Chili Bacon Cheeseburgers." 

Twister hopped off the stool he was sitting on. "Way cool, Tito! Thanks!" 

"Yeah, thanks for the food." She stepped off of her stool. "See you guys later." 

"Bye kids," Ray called to them as the two walked off. 

"Hmm" 

"What's wrong, bro?" 

"Nothing, just wondering about some things." 

"Mind sharing?" 

"No, no bruddah. It's probably nothing." 

Ray shrugged. "If you say so." 

'Okay, I'm starting to see it as strange that those two are hanging out together now, but if Ray doesn't really have any unease over it, like he did earlier, then I probably shouldn't either' 

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

Both Twister and Reggie made their ways back home, walking pretty much in silence, an awkward, deafening silence.

Reggie didn't understand why she was feeling so strange around the younger boy, whom she had always seen as a brother. She was lost in thought, thinking over the past occurrences of the day dealing with him. His strange behavior, one of which she had never encountered when around him before. She was curious as to why he had acted in such a way.

'I guess he was just trying to be nice,' Reggie thought, not being able to come up with anything better. 'But _why_ did he act like that? I don't think he's ever treated me as nicely as he did today'

As for Twister, the same thing that had always bugged him was on his mind, Reggie. He really enjoyed the time he spent with her; really enjoyed it. He didn't understand why since it was normal to hang out at the amusement park together. He'd hanged out with her before, but why was everything so different now? He couldn't stop staring at her at times and would glance at her every once in a while during their walk. He would catch himself and stop staring, since he still found it highly irregular, and wrong, to stare at Reg in any way.

After what seemed like an eternity to both teens, they finally arrived a on their street, both making their way to the Rocket home. When they reached the door, Reggie started to go through her pockets for her house key. When she found it, she unlocked the door and walked in. Twister remained on the stoop at the front door, staring at Reg, growing immensely nervous. Reg felt the same way, but the silence was killing her, so she decided to speak up.

"I had a lot of fun with you Twister," the girl told him, trying her best to sound as casual as she could.

"Really?" 

"Yeah, it was really fun just hanging out with you. Thanks for trying your best to cheer me up, too; it really helped."

"I didn't seem like a lame-o to you?"

Reggie laughed, curious as to why he sounded so relieved. "Now why would I think of you as a lame-o?"

The boy shrugged. "I dunno," he mumbled.

"I like you, Twist, so of course you're not a lame-o."

"Te amo tambien, Reggie," Twister said in a faint and quiet voice, a dreamy look etched on his freckled face.

"_What_?" 

After realizing what he had said, his face turned red. "No, no te amo!!! Te quiero!! I mean, no! Lo siento, Reggie!!"

******

RP: You'll get a translation at the end of the chapter. Try guessing as to what "te amo" and "te quiero" could mean. Lo siento, btw, means "I'm sorry" and tambien means "too" or "also."

******

The girl could only blink and arch an eyebrow up at him. She had no idea what the boy was saying. She took French and she knew that she couldn't ask the Squid since he took Japanese.

"Are you okay, Twist? You don't look so well."

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" he said quickly, glad that she hadn't understood him. He just hoped that she wouldn't ask what he said had meant. 

"What did all of that mean anyway?"

The boy started to sweat as he pulled at his collar. "Well, um, Reg, it meant that I like hanging with you too," he lied. There was no way he was going to tell her what it really meant. 'I can't believe I said that!! We are friends; that's all!! She's my friend. We aren't a couple! She's not my' 

The word "girlfriend" played throughout the boy's mind. It had a ring to it. He liked the sound of it. He then inwardly shook his head. He really hated the fact that he was starting to think of Reggie in this way and wished it would go away.

The girl didn't really believe him, but decided to leave it alone. Whatever he said must was really embarrassing. "Twister?"

"So, um, about that homework"

"Oh yeah, that's right! Come on in."

The boy walked in the house and picked up his backpack, which he had left by the front door before they left. He walked over to the sofa in front of the surfboard table and took a seat, taking out his school books and papers.

Reggie had run upstairs to get her math homework, and brought down her Honors Algebra II textbook, notebook, and her Graphing Calculator. She sat down next to the boy. 

"Okay, now let's get down to business."

"Thanks, Reg, for saying you'd help me. I really want to get a good grade before the school year is out. I really want to graduate with some decent grades. I really do want to go to college and all that stuff."

She smiled at him. She had no idea that Twister was so adamant on making good grades. "That's a good way to think, Twist. I'm impressed." The girl grew quiet as she thought over her words. She remembered someone else saying that to her at one point, her mother. She shook off her thoughts, when she realized something. She noticed Twister's books and backpack. "Hey, you haven't been home since we left this morning, have you?"

He shook his head.

"You should really let your parents know where you are, even if it is almost 9 and not too late."

"Okay, okay!"

"That's a good wittle boy," Reggie teased with a gentle smile.

"_Reg_gie!"

"You know I'm just teasing, _Mau_rice."

Twister rolled his eyes and ignored the girl, going towards the phone. He picked up the cordless phone and dialed his number. In no time at all, he got an answer.

"Hola, mamá." [Hello, mom.]

The woman on the other end answered, "Mauricio, ¿dónde estás?" [Maurice, where are you?] 

"Estoy en casa de los Rocket con Reggie." [I'm at/in the Rocket home with Reggie.]

"¿Y Otto?" [And Otto?]

"Otto?"

"Sí, ¿no está con ustedes?" [He's not with you guys?]

"No, no está aquí." [No, he's not here.]

"¿Y entonces, qué haces ahí?" [Then what do you have to do there?]

"Reggie va ayudarme con mi tarea de la geometría." [Reggie is going to help me with my Geometry homework.]

She exclaimed happily, "¡Que bueno! Reggie es muy amable al ayudarte. Eso era justo lo que necesitabas." She then told the boy sternly, "No se te olvide darle las gracias, ¡Mauricio!" [That's great! It's very nice of Reggie to help you. That's just what you neededDo not forget to thank her, Maurice!]

"Sí, le daré las gracias." [Yes, I will tell her thank you./Yes, I am going to give thanks (probably a more literal translation)] 

The boy sighed over what his mother ordered him to do. He felt it would've been common courtesy to give the girl his thanks without his mother having to tell him that.

"Te perdiste la cena, mijo," Mrs. Rodriguez noted, "¿comiste algo?" [You missed dinner, have you eaten anything?]

He sighed again and rolled his eyes, anxious to hang up. "Sí, ya comí." [Yes, I ate.]

"¿Seguro? Aún tienes que estudiar mucho." [Are you sure? You have a lot to study.]

"Si, mamá. Seguro. Por cierto, Raymundo dijo que podía quedarme esta noche a estudiar, pero que te preguntara primero. ¿Puedo?" [Yes, mom. Sure. By the way, Raymundo said that I can stay over tonight, but I had to ask you first. Can I?]

She smiled. "Sí, sí puede." [Yes, yes you may.]

"¡Muchísimas gracias, mamá!" [Thanks a lot, mom!]

"De nada." [You're welcome.] 

"¡Hasta mañana!" [See you tomorrow!]

"¡Buenos noches, mijo! ¡Estudie mucho!" [Good night, my son! Study hard!] 

He hanged up the phone.

"I didn't understand a word you just said. I do know what gracias, hasta mañana, and hola mean, and you mentioned Otto, Raymundo, and me. Everything else you said, you said it kind of fast."

"I just told her where I was."

"How come you don't speak Spanish much? I keep forgetting at times that you know it."

He shrugged. "No sé."

"Huh?"

"I don't know," he translated. "Why bother speaking it when no one other than family and Spanish teachers understand it," he replied dully.

"It never stopped you before," Reggie joked, thinking back to all of the weird things Twister had said when they were kids. "You said some interesting things when you were younger. Now, let's get to work."

"Great."

"You said you were having trouble with proofs with the Squid the other day, right?"

He nodded. "They're so confusing!"

"Okay, get out your homework and let's see what we can do. This was a breeze for me when I took Honors Geometry last year."

"I'm glad I'm not in Honors Geometry. My D would probably be an F right now."

"Well, don't worry, Twist. We're going to work hard and make sure you get that C by the time the finals come around! You're going to be eating and _dreaming_ Geometry by the time I'm done with you!"

Twister couldn't help but smile. She was showing off the Rocket determination, like she had been challenged to some kind of a competition. "Gracias una vez más, Reggie."

"Umde nada!" she replied back. She wasn't sure what the una vez más part meant, but she knew that gracias meant thank you.

"It means, 'thanks again'," Twister told her; he had a feeling she didn't know what it meant. 

"Oh, well, de nada still." 

"Um, Reg...before we start, coud we, um...."

"Could we what?"

"Have those ice cream sundaes you promised," he blurted out bashfully.

"TWISTER!!"

"What?"

"You can get your sundae _after_ you do your work. It's more important."

"You promise?"

"I promise, and if you get all of your problems right, you can have extra chocolate syrup on yours, and some cookies."

"But I don't understand this stuff," Twister whined.

"Don't worry, Twist," she gave him a reassuring smile. "I'll help you as best I can and if you want, I can tutor you from now on if you need as much help as you say you do."

Twister nodded. He didn't have anything to lose by taking Reggie up on her offer.

The girl looked at Twister's homework paper and opened up his book. "Let's see, page 279, 1-30 odd"

The two worked on their homework for the remainder of the evening. Twister was starting to understand it a bit better than what he had before as well, which he was grateful for. He knew that the Squid would've used big words or technical terms, which would've confused him more, but Reggie was different. She didn't use such jargon and kept things simple. She had even given him tips on how to remember some of the rules like she had when she had taken it the previous year.

After the work was done, the two decided to watch a bit of television and just as promised, Reggie let Twister have his ice cream sundae. There was an old surf movie on, which was very boring, and it showed. Both teens fell asleep, right there on the couch, Reggie's head resting on Twister's broad left shoulder

****

A/N: Okay, time for those translations. Did you figure out what they meant? Both are ways of saying "I love you." Te amo is just a more romantic, and loving way of saying it, whereas "Te quiero" is more casual and can be used in a non-romantic sense. Te quiero can be used with family, stuff like that. If I am wrong, feel free to correct me. ^^


	11. Chapter 11: A Blast to the Past! Part 1

Well, pat yourselves on the back and thank you for the reviews. You finally reached this part of the story. It's all Otto based. He's thinking back to the past, hence the title name. The flashback part of this will be in all italics, just to let you all know, and will be broken up into two parts. As for Reggie and Twister, you get to see them in chapter 12 (title pending). As a reminder, I normally update this fic every week and will continue to do so unless I run out of ideas, and hopefully, that won't happen. ^_^ 

Let's see, I went back and did some editing on previous chapters, the last chapter was a definite must! (Thanks Mike for the corrections and to the other reviewer who offered to help, I shall keep you both in mind. And it's cool how Maurice is "Mauricio" in the Mexican version. Thanks for the info. ^_^). I also changed Lars' age. I messed up. I wanted him two years older than Reggie, not one. Notice I had stuff, for him, like "soon to be 18." For the way this story is going, it's towards the end of the school year, which means that by the time school starts up again for them in September, Reggie should be 17, and the boys, 16, and Lars would be 19 (even though he'd have already graduated). Bah, never mind. ^^ The ages'll just be like this:

Otto: 15 going on 16 (End of Grade 10)   
Reggie: 16 going on 17 (End of Grade 11)   
Twister: 15 going on 16 (End of Grade 10)   
Sammy: 15 going on 16 (End of Grade 11)   
Lars: 18 going on 19 (End of Grade 12) 

Now for some other information, I just found out that Nickelodeon is not going to show the episode Rocket Power X-mas on December 9. Instead, they're going to air a reshowing of the Fairly Oddparents Christmas ep. I like the Fairly Oddparents as much as the next person, but Rocket Power isn't shown as much either, which is why it's so disappointing to me that we'll have to wait for a later date. I guess we'll have to wait a while before they show it, like Christmas. -_- 

Oh, some more information, the third Rocket Power movie _is_ going to be shown this month...too bad it won't be for here!! *Sighs* The UK will get to see it, for those in the states, we have to wait until next Spring or Summer. Interesting how in the UK the show is cancelled, and yet, they get to see the Island of Menehune first! As Otto would say, "This stinks on ice!" I wonder why we in the states get gypped so much when it comes to Rocket Power show and movie airings. Well, hopefully Twister will be voiced by Ulises (Ulysses) Cuadra. No offense to the newer guy who voiced him in Reggie's Big Break, but I just like Ulysses better and I sorta like Twister's older-sounding voice; Cinco de Twisto! is, ironically, a fav ep for me too since they did get into the voice changing thing and acknowledged that they were getting older, as well as the voice actor. :-P

I am getting this information, btw, from the Unofficial Rocket Power site (only for US showings), which is very reliable and hasn't been wrong yet: (http : // bryansnicksites. tripod. com / rocketpower. html). Just close up the spaces. FF.net doesn't allow linking or the posting up of html addresses anymore.

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with Rocket Power. Klasky-Csupo has that honor. 

* * *

Chapter 11: A Blast to the Past! (Part 1) 

Otto sat on the beach, staring up at the clear, dark blue sky. After Twister and Reggie left, he went back home and got his surf gear, hopped onto his bike, heading back to Rocket Beach. He had spent the entire evening surfing, and preparing for this Saturday's competition. Surfing was always Otto's way of clearing his mind. He just _had_ to win that competition. He had a ten-year promise on the line - well, almost - and he had no intention what so ever of breaking that promise. A promise he made to a person that meant a lot to him. A person he just couldn't stop thinking about lately. 

Otto heaved out a sigh as he looked up towards the Pier, the entire boardwalk illuminated with bright lights, which included the Rocket owned restaurant, the Shore Shack. He thought about heading up there to grab a quick burger, or at least a drink, but he changed his mind as he remained sitting on the beach, lost in his own thoughts, remembering past incidences, and somewhat painful, embarrassing occurrences...   
  


_Five-year-old Otto was sitting in the living room of his Ocean Shores home, coloring in front of the television. He had been home for quite a while since he only went to school half-days. School was okay to him, although, he would much rather stay at home and play outside instead of sitting inside a classroom coloring, like he was doing now._

_Otto put down the crayons and stood up, looking out the window. He wanted to go outside and play. He had just gotten a pair of roller blades, as well as a skateboard, a while back, and he loved everything about them. He liked the idea of skating really fast and hard, like a high-speed racecar. He loved the feel of the wind blowing through his thick, dreaded hair. The Kindergartener frowned at how all of that was a dream. His mother wouldn't dare allow him to skate so fast and she would never let him perform tricks on his skateboard._

_The first time he used his skateboard, he fell right off of it. When he fell, he fell onto his arm onto some broken glass that was in the road. He didn't even cry. It felt like a pinch. His father was watching him during this time, but he turned his head for a moment to speak with their temperamental, balding neighbor, Merv Stimpleton, who was complaining about the height of their shrubberies. His bubbly, fun-loving wife, Violet Stimpleton, was the one to notice Otto's fall._

_His father had to take him to the doctor that day and got stitches, but Otto was more than anxious to try it again. From that point forward, his mother told him that he wasn't to skateboard anymore and then argued with his father for being the one to buy it for him. He stood up for Otto, and told her that the boy needed some kind of a hobby, and that he seemed interested in it. She did give in, eventually, but made sure that Otto was covered from head to toe in protective gear, and that someone was watching him at all times._

_The other thing the boy loved to do was swim with his father and "Uncle Tito" in the ocean. He had gotten the hang of it right away, like the ocean was his home. He would constantly tell his mother and father that he would "love to live in the ocean and to surf with daddy." His mother would just kneel down to him, a loving smile on her face cute, round face, and tell him that he was much too young to learn how to surf, and that he could when he was older. Otto hated hearing those words: "When you are older." He was ready to surf now! He was ready to roller blade and skateboard like he had seen the big kids do, which included his sister, who bladed pretty well. He was ready to be a big kid! He wanted to show his parents that he __could__ do just as good as the other kids, and that he wasn't just a little kid or a shrimp, which the older kids would call him when teasing. His friend's older brother would call him a shrimp and other derogative words such as that whenever he would see him outside playing._

_Otto went back to his seat at the surfboard table in front of the TV and resumed coloring. There wasn't much else he could do. Even the sweet aroma of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies coming from the kitchen wasn't enough to rid him of this boredom. He wanted to play outside and he wanted some extreme action._

_"Otto, how are you doing in there?" a woman called from the kitchen. This was Olivia Rocket, Otto and Reggie's mother._

_She was a very pretty woman and couldn't be seen without a warm, friendly smile on her face. She was pretty well loved, and seemed to get along with everybody. She hated conflict, but at the same time, would stand up for herself whenever necessary. She also showed to be quite independent._

_Some would say that Otto resembled her quite a bit, especially when it came to facial features and the hair. Both of them shared the same dread-locked hair look, only it was much longer than Otto's, the same hair color, and they both had the same dark eye color and shape. Otto even got her height. She wasn't very tall, and was just a mere 5'2, just like the others on her side of the family, and by the looks of it, Otto was headed there as well. He had always been pretty small for his age._

_*Her other features were inherited by her daughter, Reggie, or more so, her personality was inherited by Reggie, but Reggie's physical features were all like her father's, and those from his side of the family. Otto was exactly like his father personality wise, always willing to take risks, where as Reggie would take her time and logically think over the situation first, and consider the consequences._

_When naming the children, both Ray and Olivia wanted their child to have an "O" name and an "R" name. They had both planned on having more than one anyway. Ray named Regina, and Olivia had named Oswald._

_"I'm fine, mommy." He put his crayons down once again and walked into the warm kitchen. His nose hadn't deceived him. His mother had baked some cookies._

_"Ahh, there goes my little man," she smiled at him as she removed the cookies from the sheet and put them into a glass jar. "Why the frown?"_

_"I want to play. Can I go outside and play with Maurice?"_

_"Not until your sister gets home."_

_"Well," he sniffed the air, "can I have a cookie?"_

_"No, you'll ruin your appetite," she stated while putting the jar onto a high shelf. "These are for after dinner."_

_"Is it time for Reggie to get home yet?"_

_"A bit impatient, aren't we?" she asked amusingly. She always found Otto adorable and cute whenever he acted in this fashion. "She should be getting home very soon. Don't worry."_

_A short moment later, both Olivia and Otto heard a door slam, and a girl with short, somewhat curly violet hair tied up into a single ponytail, wearing a white blouse, and a green plaid skirt, running into the kitchen, waving a piece of paper in her hand._

_"Mommy, mommy!" the girl called, pretty much out of breath. She had run all the way from the bus stop. "Look, look!!"_

_"What's this?" her mother asked, taking the folded up piece of paper._

_"It's my Progress Report!"_

_She looked at it and her eyes widened, and a proud look embedded her face. "Wow! You got a check+ for everything, and for math, a check++!"_   
****   
RP: Sorry, I couldn't get a checkmark character to show up for some reason.   
****   
_"Ms. Hart told me this afternoon, that my grades are so good, that I can get skipped up to the second grade!"_

_She hugged the girl tightly. "I am so proud of you!" She took the jar down from off of the shelf and took out one of the freshly baked cookies. "Here, have a cookie." The girl thanked her, and ate the cookie. "I can't wait to tell Raymundo the news!"_

_"No fair!" Otto grumbled, his arms crossed. "I wanted a cookie."_

_"I had no idea that it was Progress Report day." She looked down at Otto who had been pretty quiet since Reggie shared her news. "Where's yours? I don't remember seeing it when we did your homework."_

_The boy shrugged. Ms. Jenkins had told Otto before he came home that he wanted to see his mother or father for a conference and he knew it had something to do with his Progress Report. The way his teacher said it, it sounded like it was pretty bad, so the boy figured if he didn't show his report to his mom, then his teacher wouldn't have to talk to her. He had bawled up the small progress report, with the conference request written on it, and had it hidden in the pocket of the red overalls he was wearing._

_"Otto!" She gave her son a stern look. "Go get your backpack and empty it."_

_Otto didn't hesitate, and did just as she had ordered. He went back into the room where his coloring materials were and picked up his not so heavy backpack. He then went back into the kitchen, and dumped all of the contents of his backpack on the table._

_"Hey, watch it!" Reggie shouted at the boy. She was sitting down at the kitchen table, drinking a glass of milk to wash down the cookie she had just eaten._

_Olivia looked through Otto's things, which wasn't much. "Hey, there's nothing here." She looked over at Otto who had a somewhat scared look about his face. "Otto, did you get a Progress Report?" He nodded slowly. He had learned from both of his parents that it was bad to lie. "Where is it?"_

_Before he realized what he was doing, his tiny hand had reached down into his pocket, and he pulled out the bawled up piece of paper. "Here it is," he uttered softly._

_She took the paper and looked over it. She didn't get a proud smile like she had with Reggie's Progress Report, her look was actually pretty sad. "Oh, Otto," was all she could say._

_After that brief moment of silence, she spoke up. "Otto, you have to get better grades than this if you want to get out of Kindergarten. We go over all of your assignments, but you're still having trouble."_

_"I could help him, mommy, since I make good grades," Reggie chimed in. Otto hated it when she showed off her intelligence._

_"That's nice dear," his mother responded absent-mindedly as she tucked some of her long hair behind her ear. "Oh, what are we going to do with you, Otto?" He shrugged. "Well, we'll see what we have to do about you at this conference with your teacher."_

_"Can I go out and play with Maurice now?"_

_"Otto! You could fail!" Reggie told him, surprised that he was more interested in playing than worrying over his grades._

_"At least one of you understands the importance of studying." She smiled at Reggie. "I'm glad you know that at such a young age. Please, Regina, keep that up. Always do your homework, listen to your teacher, and review what you learned after school, even if you want to play outside. Always do your homework and studying first."_

_"Yes, mom, but the name Regina is so babyish. I like the name Reggie."_

_"Okay, Reggie. As you wish. I'll try not to let it slip that your real name is Regina," she said with a teasing laugh. "You can thank Otto for that, just as we can thank you for his nickname."_

_When Otto was first born, for some reason, Reggie couldn't get the hang of saying "Oswald," so she just started calling him Otto, and the name stuck. The same went for Otto when it came to Regina. He couldn't say Regina right, so he started calling her Reggie._

_"Well, let's go see what we can do about your grades, Otto. From now on, we will make sure to look over all of your work." She pinched Otto's cheek and gave him a loving smile. "I don't want my little man to get left behind in his first year of school."_

_"Okay," the boy responded dully._

****

A/N: In my opinion, Reggie's hair is more like Ray's so that's why I just went on and implied that Reggie takes after those on his side of the family and Otto takes after those on his mother's side. Something else I noticed, the height issue. Ray is pretty tall and so is Reggie, so let's say she inherited that from Ray as well. Okay, never mind. I guess you all got what I was trying to do here. ^^


	12. Chapter 11: A Blast to the Past! Part 2

Thanks for the reviews everyone. I really appreciated them. Now, for this part, it's just continuing where the other one left off. There's more flashback stuff for this and you even find out the origin of Twister's name, as well as what the promise was Otto made and to whom, even though it's probably very obvious to whom the promise was made. I also apologize for the length of this chapter. It's pretty long. ^^

I sorta wish that there was some official info revealed on Otto and Reggie's mom. The "she's dead" thing is confirmed, but name info I don't think has ever been revealed. I guess Olivia is a decent enough name. That was the only female "O" name I could think of.

For chapter 12, expect another confrontation. Reggie and Twister end up confronting Otto again, only this time, he's going to end up taking most of his anger out on Twister. Too bad the "traitor" thing isn't explained for that chapter. You still have to wait awhile for that, unless one of you already has an idea as to why Otto considers Twister a traitor. Feel free to leave 'em. Sam sorta hinted at it back in chapter 4. ^^

Okay, one other thing. As a treat, look out for chapter 12 later on this week (even though the end of this part goes into chapter 12 so the Twist/Reg hinting starts at the end of this part). I'm going to update it sooner than what I would normally to celebrate the end of finals!! lol I hope you all will enjoy it. ^_^ For chapter 13, Lars is shown again and talks with Reggie, and for chapter 14, expect some major Twist/Reg hinting, and I _do_ mean major. Well, major compared to what's been seen so far for this story. ^^ 

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with Rocket Power. Klasky-Csupo has that honor.

* * *

Chapter 11: A Blast to the Past! (Part 2)

Otto sighed again. He hated that particular time in his life. His mother had seemed so proud of Reggie when the chances of her being skipped up a grade had been possible. After some thinking, Reggie and his parents decided against having her skipped since the girl didn't want to leave her friends behind. 

He always hated the fact that his mother was constantly proud of Reggie and no matter what he did he couldn't get on the same level as her. She was good at sports _and_ she was good when it came to her schoolwork. Even now, Ray would constantly praise Reggie when it came to her accomplishments. He would then say something that Otto truly hated hearing constantly, "Your mother would've been very proud!"

Otto couldn't recall any time in his whole 15 years of existence where Ray had said anything remotely like that to him. It wasn't the fact that he would talk of how great Reggie was, but his always saying, "Your mother would've been proud," to her, bugged him. It made him feel that no matter what he did, to Ray, it would never be enough to make his mother proud of him, as if nothing he did would truly ever matter.

'Why does she have to be so damn perfect!' Otto thought bitterly as another memory saturated his mind...

_"Hey, check this out!" Otto called to his hat-wearing, six-year-old friend, Maurice. The soon to be six-year-old boy was practicing on his skateboard again, trying to nail the tricks he had seen the big kids, like Maurice's brother, Lars, do._

_He skated up the driveway of the Rocket home as fast as he could, and then kick-flipped the board, landing back on the ground perfectly._

_"Awesome, Otto!" the boy in the hat cheered while giving him a thumbs-up. "Let me try too!" He skated up the driveway, tried to kick flip like Otto, but instead, lost his balance and the board didn't land on the ground the way it should have. When trying to regain his balance, he ended up twirling around in a circle, falling right off and flat on his back. "Ouch~~~"_

_Otto helped the boy up, and when he did, both heard someone laugh. The two looked down at the end of the driveway._

_"Aww, the dork-o and the munchkin are trying to nail some moves!" the older soon to be nine-year-old boy with the dark brown hair laughed while wiping a tear away from his eye. He was wearing his roller blades and was skating by when he noticed the two._

_"Go away, Lars!" Maurice shouted at his brother, a look of annoyance on his face. He hated having to put up with his brother whenever in his teasing mood._

_He skated up to him. "What are you going to do about it if I don't? Fall off your wittle skateboard again!" He pushed the younger boy down, laughing once again._

_"Just bug off, Lars!" Otto shouted angrily as he stepped up to the **much** taller boy, his fists clenched on each side of him. _

_He was growing tired of Lars's bullying him in general, and was ready to fight him, no matter how many times his parents would tell him not to. Otto had already been a few fights - and punished for them - all due to the fact that the older kids teased him for his being so short and small. He was just pushed too far those particular times. The five year old wanted to prove to everyone that he **was** a tough kid, not some wimp who couldn't take care of himself. He didn't even cry whenever in a fight since it showed weakness, and he really didn't want to be known as Otto the crybaby._

_"Oh no, now the shrimpo is going to tell me what to do!" the boy mocked sarcastically. Lars laughed hard as he pushed Otto down alongside Maurice. "Aww, the poor wittle munchkin fell down. I bet he even has a booboo!! Are you going to run home crying!"_

_"Hey, leave him alone!" an authoritative voice called to Lars. _

_The three looked down the driveway and saw a certain seven-year-old violet-haired girl at the end of it on roller blades. She skated up to the three. She had seen the entire thing. She would've come up sooner, but she too found Maurice's twirly fall off of his skateboard a bit amusing, and wanted to be a bit more contained before interfering._

_"Regina?"_

_"The name is Reggie, **Lars**, and don't you **ever** call me that again, if you want to make it to the third grade alive!"_

_The boy scoffed at the shorter, smaller girl, his arms crossed. "Whatever."_

_"Leave them alone, now! Why don't you go pick on somebody your own size!"_

_"You mean like...you?"_

_"You try anything, and **I'll** whomp you!" Reggie challenged, hands on hips, and her eyes narrowed. _

_She knew that Lars would never actually hit her and if he did, not only would her parents be on his case, so would his mother and father, and Mrs. Rodriguez could be pretty scary when mad at her son. She had also never seen Lars hit an actual girl, tease, sure, but never hit._

_Lars fell down to the ground, holding his stomach, laughing hard. "**You** whomp **me**!?! **Yeah** right!"_

_Maurice looked down at his brother who was still laughing hilariously. A sly grin then spread on the younger boy's face, and he told him, "I'm going to tell mami on you if you don't leave us alone!"_

_Lars stopped laughing abruptly as a look of realization came to his face. The last thing he wanted was his mother to yell at him again for picking on Maurice and Otto. He stood up quickly. He was about to retort to his younger brother's threat, but didn't. He grumbled something and skated away._

_"I wish I could get a new brother," mumbled Twister after Lars was out of sight._

_"Well, you're stuck with him," Reggie smiled to him. "He'll probably get better later when he's older and smarter."_

_"You mean like when he's a grandpa?!"_

_"I **hope** it doesn't take that long," she muttered. She turned to Otto who was still sitting on the ground from when Lars had pushed him. She extended a hand to him. "Are you okay? That jerk didn't hurt you, did he?"_

_"I'm fine!" the boy shouted at her, pushing her hand away and standing up on his own. Reggie may have meant well, but he didn't need her to fight all of his battles and didn't want her to. "I could've taken care of him myself!"_

_"Yeah, right, Otto. You're too small to do anything against someone as big as Lars. Haven't you learned anything from your past fights with big kids? You always get whomped!"_

_Otto felt his face go a bit red in embarrassment. She didn't have to remind him that he was small compared to the other kids in his grade and that he had never actually won in a fight. As a matter of fact, he **was** the smallest of everyone in his class and grade. Even his friend Maurice had grown bigger than him. When they were younger, they were always about the same height, but not now. He towered him and was almost as tall as Reggie._

_"That was kind of funny, Maurice," Reggie said with a small chuckle as she skated circles around the two boys._

_"You saw me fall?" She nodded. "Aww man," he then glared at her annoyingly, "and **don't** call me Maurice!"_

_"Why not, it's your name."_

_"Well, I don't really like that name anymore."_

_"How come?" _

_"Because, that's what Lars calls me!!"_

_'That's because it's your name, **duh**!' Reggie thought in disbelief over the boy's response. _

_"And with the way Lars says it, it makes me feel like a lame-o!"_

_"A lame-o?"_

_"Lars says that Maurice is a lame-o name for baby dork-os."_

_"Why not get a nickname?"_

_"A nick...name?" The boy scratched his head. "What's a nickname?"_

_"It's a name people use instead of their real names." She stopped skating and stood in front of the slightly shorter Maurice. "My nickname is Reggie, just like," points to her brother, "**his** nickname is Otto."_

_"Oh!!" the boy exclaimed anxiously, finally understanding. "I want a new name!! I want a new name!!"_

_"Um, how about Hat Boy since you always wear that hat?"_

_He gave her a thumbs down. "No way, Reggie!"_

_"Red head?"_

_He shook his head, arms crossed._

_"Freckle face! Lars doesn't have freckles like you!"_

_"Uh-uh."_

_"Um, Mau [Pronounced Maw]?"_

_He turned up his nose. "**Eww**!!"_

_"Rice [Pronounced Reese]?"_

_"NO!!" he shouted, causing the girl to almost lose her balance from his sudden outburst. _

_'How **rude**,' the girl thought._

_"You just split up my name!! I want something cooler than my brother's name!"_

_"How about..." she thought for a brief moment, "...Tornado? No, wait, Twister!?!"_

_Otto and Maurice stared at the girl in confusion. "**Twist**er?"_

_"Yeah." She started to skate circles around the two of them again. "No matter what trick you try, you always end up spinning around like a tornado off your skateboard, and mom said that a tornado is called a twister, and twister sounds cooler than tornado." She then added with a laugh, "A tornado also causes disaster and messes, and your room is **always** a mess."_

_"Twist...er." _

_The boy thought it over for about five seconds. He didn't really take in how Reggie had come up with the name, or the logic behind it. It could've been taken as an insult, but to him, the name just had a ring to it. _

_"Cool! I like it!" he said with a big smile. "Twister is my new name," he said proudly, "and no one will ever call me Maurice again!"_

_"It's going to be weird calling you Twister," Otto said._

_"Well, who cares!" Twister balanced himself on his skateboard. "My new name is Twister, and there's nothing anyone can do about it!"_

_After seeing that Twister was content, Reggie turned to her brother. "Hey, Otto, we have to leave. That's why I'm out here."_

_"What's going on?"_

_"We have to go back to the hospital," Reggie replied sullenly._

_"Lars told me that when my mom went to the hospital, she came back with a baby me! He said I was delivered or something. I guess he meant like the mail. The mailman dropped me off, and my mom came and got me!!" He thought for a moment. "Since your mom is in the hospital, is she going to bring home a baby too?"_

_"I don't think so," Reggie replied with a frown. "She's really sick. Daddy hasn't told us much about why she's sick or how she got sick or what made her sick."_

_"He said something about an operation. What's that again?" Otto asked._

_"Ooo, I know I know!! It's that thing where the doctor guys cut people open to make them feel better!" Twister chimed in excitedly, like a student volunteering to answer a question asked of him in a classroom. "Papá told me that! He said he had to get uh operation one time because of some thing in his tummy that made him hurt real bad. It was called uh, uh...abandage? I think? It's a hard word to say!"_

_"I don't think that's a real word, Mauri...er I mean Twister. I think you mean appendix," Reggie corrected._

_"Yeah, that's it!!"_

_"If they're supposed to make you feel better, maybe mommy can finally come home!" the girl said with loads of enthusiasm and excitement. Their mother had been in the hospital for the past week or so, right before the kids got out for their summer break._

_"Reggie, Otto, let's go!" they heard a gloomy voice call._

_"Come on, Otto! Daddy's waiting for us!" The girl grabbed her younger brother's hand and pulled him along._

_"Bye guys!" Twister called to the two as he skated back towards home._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_It didn't take Ray long to get to the Ocean Shores Memorial. The ride there had become a daily occurrence. Ray visited every afternoon after Reggie would get home from school. As for Otto, since he still only went to school half-days, he would have to stay at the Rodriguezes until he came home. The same went for Reggie since both she and Otto were too young to stay at home by themselves. Luckily, for Ray, he didn't have to worry about that anymore since school just recently let out for the summer and both Reggie and Otto passed to the second and first grade._

_Otto hated riding to the hospital, mainly because she never left with them. And every time they left, Ray would seem so down and depressed. Reggie would try her best to cheer him up, but then she would grow sullen herself and ask the one question that Ray wished he could answer: "When is mom coming home?" He would always respond with an, "I don't know, princess."_

_Even though Olivia never came home with them, Otto knew that he'd always be able to see her the next day and every day after that, but little did he know that this was going to be his very last time…_

_Right now, all of them were standing in the hallway in front of Olivia's door. Both Otto and Reggie stood patiently, awaiting Ray's inevitable, follow the hospital rules lecture._

_"Okay, Otto, Reggie, now this is a hospital." He always sounded uneasy whenever telling them of the rules, like he'd rather not be there and at home, Olivia and both kids by his side. "We must be quiet and not disturb the other patients, and don't over exert your mother. She-she's been through a lot. And-and if she seems different, don't worry." _

_"Yes dad," both children responded routinely. _

_"Well, um, yes, let's go in now."_

_They walked into the bright room. Otto hated hospitals so much. He always found them boring, like the library. You weren't allowed to play, you couldn't talk loud, and you had to sit still. But he didn't mind suffering through those three things since he was there to see his mother. He really missed her, even if she did seem to favor Reggie over him, even though that wasn't true, but to a five year old who seemed to constantly stay in trouble, it would._

_In the bed laid their mother whose complexion was quite pale since she hadn't been outside for so long. She had a strange bag beside her bed, which held a clear liquid and from that bag, was a long tube that was stuck into her right arm. When there the first time, Otto had asked what it was and she explained to him, with a smile, that it was an IV and it gave her the nutrients she needed since she wasn't eating as much._

_Her long thick hair was tied into a single ponytail and her eyes were closed. Ray sat down in the chair next to her and just stared, a frown on his face and held her small hand in his. _

_The woman was growing weaker by the day, even though she had gotten the operation. The doctors were even having a difficult time trying to figure out was wrong and were testing her constantly._

_Reggie and Otto just stood on the other side of the bed, wishing Olivia would awaken. A short moment later, the woman began to stir. She opened her eyes slowly to see that Ray was holding her hand and that Reggie and Otto were right next to her._

_"R-Raymundo…" she uttered in a hushed voice._

_"No, don't talk," Ray told her. "Talk only if you have the strength."_

_"I'm fine," Olivia told him. She looked over at her two children. "Oh Otto, Reggie, I'm so glad to see you!"_

_Ray let go of her hand and she managed to sit up a bit more than what she was. She then hugged both Otto and Reggie tightly. "Oh, I missed you two so much! I hate not being at home with you."_

_"Don't worry, mom, you'll be coming home with us in no time!" Reggie told her, remembering Twister's words. 'She just has to get better. Mr. Rodriguez did, so maybe mom will too!'_

_During the visit they all talked, Reggie and Otto talking about their summer break and even of Maurice's new nickname. Olivia laughed a bit and said, "How cute," to Maurice's new nickname, and Ray talked about Tito's food inventions. "He never gives up," she said with a smile. _

_Reggie even told her mother about a surprise she had for her. A short story she had written. She pulled out five folded up sheets of wide-lined notebook paper from out of her pocket and gave it to her._

_"This is nice, Reggie! Thank you."_

_"It's a story about the greatest mother in Ocean Shores! You can read it before your bedtime!"_

_"I definitely will," she said as she set the papers down on the table beside her bed._

_After a while, Olivia asked the children to go stand out in the hall since she had to talk to Ray about something. Otto personally didn't want to leave, but was dragged out by Reggie._

_"What do you think they're talking about?" Reggie asked after she and Otto were in the hall._

_"Maybe she's telling dad when she can finally come home!" Otto said excitedly._

_"I hope so. I miss her being at home."_

_Sitting in front of a door was quite boring. There were two chairs right in front of the door and both children were growing agitated and fidgety. Their parents had been talking for such a long time._

_"I want to go back in!" Otto complained, standing up._

_"You heard mom, we have to sit here."_

_"Yeah yeah," he grumbled as he sat back down._

_Time Otto sat down, the door opened and Ray was walked out. Both children jumped out of their seats and asked, "Can we go back in now?!"_

_"Um, yeah," Ray said slowly, "but Otto, you have to stay out here."  
  
"Why?!" the boy demanded. He wanted to see his mother._

_"Because Olivia wants to talk to Reggie alone and then she would like to talk to you alone."_

_"But why?" he asked again._

_"I'm not sure," he answered distantly._

_Otto could only blink. He didn't really understand. Reggie could only shrug and walked into the room, shutting the door behind her._

_Otto plopped back down in the seat he had been sitting in for the past 20 minutes. Ray took the seat Reggie had._

_"What were you talking about with mom?" Otto asked. "Were you talking about when she's coming home?"_

_"Yeah, yeah, that's it," Ray said quickly and absent-mindedly. _

_He knew that his wife's condition was serious, but not this serious. She told him of everything that was wrong and how doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong and that her health was deteriorating. When she told him of this, she had a sort of optimistic way of saying it. She didn't sound bitter, nor did she seem to feel sorry for herself. If anything, Ray considered her to be strong._

_Otto sighed since Ray obviously wasn't paying attention to him. He wanted more answers. _

_About five minutes later, Reggie walked out. "Otto, mom wants to talk with you now."_

_"Finally!!!" the boy exclaimed, jumping out of his seat. He rushed right in, the door closing behind him._

_"Ahh, there goes my little man," the woman said while gently smiling to him. "Have a seat, Otto."_

_The last thing the boy wanted to have to do again is sit down, but he did it anyway._

_"I'm glad you're here, Otto. I really miss you and your sister." She took in a deep breath and stared up at the ceiling. "Well, I just want to let you know that I'm glad that you made it to the first grade."_

_"Me too!"_

_"Otto, I want you to promise me that no matter what, that you'll do your very best in whatever it is you do."_

_"Do the best?"_

_She nodded. "Yes. You're very good at what you do, your sports; I notice you're very good on that skateboard and those skates of yours, and I want you to do great with it, but don't let it mess up your school work."_

_Otto nodded. "Maurice….er…Twister's brother was talking about pro skaters and how he's going to be a pro skater by the time he's ten!"_

_Olivia laughed. "Don't count on that. He'd have to be a bit older before doing that. At least a teenager before concentrating on going pro anything. At least 15 or 16, but he still shouldn't let it interfere with his schoolwork, and that shouldn't be the only thing he should be concerning himself with. School should always come first!"_

_"Do you think I could be a pro skater, mom?"_

_"I'm sure of it, but let that be your second focus, not your main focus."_

_"I bet I could be a pro skater by the time I'm 16!!"_

_"I'm sure you could. I'd be very proud of my little man if he did."_

_The boy stood up, determination in his voice. "I'm going to be the best skater in all of Ocean Shores! No, the entire world!"_

_"That's my little man!" she said with a proud smile. "You're always determined, that's one of the things I love about you most, Otto. Don't ever change."_

_There was a knock on the door and a man entered the room, Reggie and Ray behind him. It was Olivia's doctor. He looked to be in his late 20s._

_"Excuse me, Mrs. Rocket, but we have to perform some more tests on you and your visitors will have to leave."_

_"But it's so early. There's still two hours left until visiting hours end, Dr. Sugiyama," Olivia protested._

_"I'm sorry, ma'am, but we really have to do these tests."_

_"It's okay, Olivia," Ray told her gently. "Let the man do his job. The sooner they perform the tests, the sooner they find the problem, and the sooner they fix it."_

_"Yes, I suppose so," she weakly murmured. She didn't want Ray and the kids to leave. She felt that if they did, she wouldn't see them again. _

_"Okay kids, go give your mom a hug."_

_You didn't have to tell them twice, they hugged her tightly. "Please come home soon," Reggie said with a sniffle, her eyes watering._

_"I-I'll try," she responded uneasily. 'Poor Reggie, she's going to grow up without her mother,' she thought sadly._

_"Mom?" Otto noticed the uneasiness in her voice. He wasn't used of that._

_She smiled at him, the same smile that she was well known for. "Everything will be all right, little man. Don't worry."_

_After the hug, Ray walked over to her and gave her a kiss. "We'll see you tomorrow, and do what the doctors tell you." She nodded to him. _

_They then started out the door, but Olivia called to Otto, "Mind your father and your sister, and always wear your protective gear when skateboarding and blading." Otto said, "okay" as he hurried to catch up with Ray and Reggie._

_"Goodbye," Olivia uttered softly and quietly. "I hope you all live out a grand and plentiful life."_

_The ride home was a somewhat quiet one since everyone was lost in their own thoughts over what Olivia had told each of them separately, especially Ray who was terribly worried now. It seemed as if his wife would never recover…that she **could** be dying or is either about to die. He shook those thoughts off. She couldn't die! He shouldn't think such negative thoughts._

_As for Reggie, Olivia told her to always watch over Otto and to protect and help him whenever needed, since she's not home. She also told her to keep up the good work with her schoolwork and that she was glad she passed to the second grade, but she really stayed on the, "watch out for your brother," thing and to always be there for him. Reggie promised her that she would._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_That following afternoon - like clockwork - Ray and the kids hopped into his noisy green station wagon and headed over to the Ocean Shores Memorial to visit Olivia. When they got there, Ray gave the kids the same old, "don't disturb the patients" speech and headed towards his beloved wife's room._

_When they got to the room, they saw the doctor standing in front of it, his head lowered._

_"Dr. Sugiyama," Ray called, recognizing the man, "what's going on?"_

_"Oh, Mr. Rocket. Could I maybe have a word with you?"_

_Ray nodded cautiously. He had a feeling that he was about to receive some depressing news. "Is something wrong with Olivia!" he asked in alarm._

_"I'm afraid so." The man took Ray aside and gave him the news, handing him Reggie's story. Olivia passed away earlier that afternoon. They tried to contact him, but couldn't. Ray was speechless as he felt his eyes stinging, trying to hold back tears. _

_"No, it couldn't be!! Tell me you're not serious!!" The doctor shook his head. "No...Olivia..."_

_Reggie and Otto could only stare in confusion. They had never seen Ray act in such a fashion. The two ran up to him._

_"Dad, can we go see mom now?" Reggie asked._

_"Yeah! I want to tell her about the new move I learned! It's called an Ollie!"_

_Hearing the two ask about their mother made Ray feel even worse. How was he going to explain to the two that their mother wasn't coming home?_

_"I'll leave you alone now, Mr. Rocket," Dr. Sugiyama told him. He then walked away._

_"Dad, that's my story you have in your hand! How come mom doesn't have it?" Reggie asked after the doctor left._

_"Kids, I think you two should sit down."_

_"When are we going to see mom!" Otto demanded, remaining standing._

_"Well, that's just the thing, Otto, we're not going to today." Right now, Ray's heart ached and his throat was soar trying to hold down the lump in his throat to keep from crying. He had to be the strong one for them._

_"Why can't we see her?"_

_"Well, Reggie, you see, your mother isn't in the room."_

_"Does that mean she's coming home!" both asked excitedly._

_"I'm afraid not. You see your mother is never coming home with us," he said slowly. "She-she-she didn't make it," he said, his voice quivering some._

_Reggie was the first to catch on and she now had tears forming in her eyes. "She-she died!!"_

_Ray sighed painfully and nodded. Reggie started to cry loudly. Otto was surprised. 'Died? Mom---died?' He frowned. He saw that Ray wasn't crying, just quiet so he did the same thing. He didn't cry, even though he wanted to. His mother wasn't coming home with them. His mother wouldn't be able to see him become a pro skater like he had promised her. She wouldn't be able to see him perform an Ollie._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_About a week later, a funeral for Olivia was held and lots of people showed up for it. She was known all throughout the community and loved by all. At the funeral, Mrs. Stimpleton offered to help out in any way that she could, and so did the Rodriguezes. Even Mr. Stimpleton offered his support, and he was normally always cranky and grouchy._

_Ray found out that Olivia did, indeed, die from the uterine cancer, even though she had the operation to remove her uterus. There were still cancer cells left within her after they removed it that wasn't detected until after those final set of test results came back after her death. Ray never once got into detail as to how and what their mother died from._

_At that point forward, Otto vowed to go pro or win as many competitions as possible by the time he was 16 so that his mother would be proud of him! Well, his mother's spirit. He promised her that, and he intended on keeping it and he wasn't going to let anyone stand in his way..._

Otto heaved out a heavy sigh as he wiped some tears away from his eyes. He really missed his mother and this year was the anniversary of her death. In a few weeks, it'll be ten whole years.

He stared out at the clear, blue ocean, the moon's reflection bright and clear on the dark blue waters. He stood up and brushed the sand from off of him. He looked around and saw that he was the only still hanging out on the beach at such an hour. It wasn't too often you'd see anyone surfing at night. The only people Otto saw were teenage couples.

He went over to his bike, strapped on his helmet and strapped his surfboard onto the back of it.

"Just one more day until the big competition!" Otto said as he rode home. "I am _so_ totally stoked and I'm going to win it! This is a statewide competition, and our team and the Ocean Bluffs' team are the last two teams left in the competition. Whoever wins will be the best of the best!" A determined look appeared on the young boy's face as he sped down the hill, which led to the Rocket home. "I _will_ win this competition! I _will_ be the best. I have to; I can't let her down…"

When he arrived at his home a short while later, it was close to 11, and he saw that Ray's car wasn't in the driveway.

'I guess he's still hanging at the shack,' he thought as he put up his bike, unstrapping his surfboard, setting it in the garage. He then went around to the front door and unlocked it.

After he entered the home, he started up the stairs, but something from his left caught his eye. He noticed the television was on and on the couch, his head lolled back, was a certain "traitor," wearing a striped red and yellow backwards cap snoring soundly.

"What's _he_ doing here!" Otto grumbled annoyingly. 

He stomped over to the couch, about to give the boy a piece of his mind, when he noticed a certain dark-haired girl lying down next to him, her head resting on the boy's shoulder, and her eyes closed, Twister's arms draped around her. To him, it looked as if the two had been spending the evening together, like an _actual_ couple. 

'No way,' the boy thought, his eyes wide. His astonishment then turned to that of anger. "What the _hell_ are you two doing!" Otto shouted loudly, startling the two awake...

****

A/N: And there you have it. You now know why Otto is so competitive and why he has a bit of jealousy towards Reggie. He's jealous of Reggie because of how both Ray and his mother were always proud of her for whatever the reason, where as with him, it was the total opposite.

The promise that was made was to his mother and promised to be the best at what he's good at, which is, for him, extreme sports. I personally thought everything dealing with his mother could've been written much better than what it was, but this was all I could come up with. To be completely honest, this particular part of chapter 11 - the stuff dealing with the mother - was a block and I wrote out chapters 12 and 13 before I finished this part. ^^

Okay, I'll stop rambling now, and glad you all decided to read. Expect chapter 12 up by Wednesday or Thursday. Who knows, I might put it up Friday. ^_^


	13. Chapter 12: Best Bro or Traitor? Twiste...

Thanks for the reviews everyone! I just love cliffhangers like that last chapter. lol Now, for this chapter, it's just continuing off from where the previous one ended. So, enjoy this early update to celebrate the end of my finals! ^_^

Hey, if you're wondering, Otto's catching Reggie and Twister wasn't originally included last part. It was supposed to be the beginning of this chapter. I only added it as a way to torment you Reggie x Twister fans, and because of jovhyztwist's review. lol

Oh, I hope you all caught the RP Christmas special. It came on this past Monday. This was definitely one of the best eps ever imho! I mean, they actually referenced Reggie and Otto's mom! Too bad they didn't give a name, or even show a photo of her. -_- So, she apparently was into aquatics since Ray mentioned her having been on a scuba expedition, and she was apparently a surfer. Ooo, I'll definitely have to work that into this fic somehow!! I just wish this ep would've aired last Tuesday, like it was supposed to, instead of a couple of days ago. The second half of chapter 11 would've been written a tad bit differently, or I would've at least included the gift that Otto received from Ray that once belonged to kids' mother. 

Let's see, what else can I say about it...oh yeah, since I'm such a Twister fan, I have to mention this. lol If it weren't for Twister, then Sam, Reggie, and Otto wouldn't have earned extra money for Christmas presents. I like how Twister said that this year, he'd have enough money to buy something for all of the Rodriguezes. I have this feeling that he wasn't just referring to Sandy, Raul, and Lars. ^^ Later on in the ep, Otto mentioned Twister being stuck doing something with family and his "gajillion cousins." lol Quite interesting how Lars wasn't forced to hang around these cousins. He was out challenging Otto.

Oh, and for those who did miss it, Ulises Cuadra did _not_ voice Twister! ;_; Instead, it was that Gilbert Leal, Jr. kid. I miss Ulises! I admit, Gilbert does voice Twister well, but it just sounds weird since Gilbert is obviously younger than Ulises. It's like Twister aged backwards. ^^

Okay, enough rambling. Let's get this chapter started!! Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with Rocket Power. Klasky-Csupo has that honor.

* * *

Chapter 12: Best Bro or Traitor? Twister and Reggie's Second Confrontation with Otto!

"Just one more day until the big competition!" Otto said as he rode home. "I am _so_ totally stoked and I'm going to win it! This is a statewide competition, and our team and the Ocean Bluffs' team are the last two teams left in the competition. Whoever wins will be the best of the best!" A determined look appeared on the young boy's face as he sped down the hill, which led to the Rocket home. "I _will_ win this competition! I _will_ be the best. I have to; I can't let her down..."

When he arrived at his home a short while later, it was close to 11, and he saw that Ray's car wasn't in the driveway.

'I guess he's still hanging at the shack,' he thought as he put up his bike, unstrapping his surfboard, setting it in the garage. He then went around to the front door and unlocked it.

After he entered the home, he started up the stairs, but something from his left caught his eye. He noticed the television was on and on the couch, his head lolled back, was a certain "traitor," wearing a striped red and yellow backwards cap snoring soundly.

"What's _he_ doing here!" Otto grumbled annoyingly. 

He stomped over to the couch, about to give the boy a piece of his mind, when he noticed a certain dark-haired girl lying down next to him, her head resting on the boy's shoulder, and her eyes closed, Twister's arms draped around her. To him, it looked as if the two had been spending the evening together, like an _actual_ couple. 

'No way,' the boy thought, his eyes wide. His astonishment then turned to that of anger. "What the _hell_ are you two doing!" Otto shouted loudly, startling the two awake.

Twister was the first to awaken, and saw a very pissed boy standing in front of him. "O-man?" He yawned. "What's up?"

Twist tried to stretch his arms, and finally realized that Reggie was curled up next to him, her head resting on his shoulder and how he had been holding onto her all night without realizing it. A nervous blush crept onto his face. 'She sure is pretty when she's sleeping,' the boy thought dreamily. He then told himself, 'No, no she's not! She's just a friend, nothing more! She fell asleep and-and-and laid on my shoulder by accident and since I always have to hold something when I sleep, I held her by mistake thinking she was a pillow or something! Yeah, that's it.' 

Reggie sat upright and started to rub the sleep away from her eyes, still trying to make sense of things. She was also slightly annoyed that her nice sleep had been disturbed. 'Oh, we fell asleep,' she yawned, 'I wonder what the big deal is...' 

She was about to question her brother, and ask why he seemed to be so peeved, but she didn't get the chance. Otto stormed over to the two, and grabbed Twister by his shirt, picking him up slightly.

"Hey!" the boy protested, too surprised to do much of anything.

"What are you doing here with my sister!" Otto demanded through grit teeth, shaking him some.

"_OTTO_!" Reggie yelled, finally alert and fully awake. "Leave him alone!"

Otto ignored Reggie's demand as he kept his attention fixated on the boy in front of him. "_Well_!?"

"Dude, we-we were just studying," replied nervously.

"You _never_ study!" Otto retorted, ready to knock the boy senseless.

"Yes I do!" Twister argued back. "I'm _try_ing to get my grades up! It'll be nice to make the honor roll at least _once_ in my life and have my parents proud of me!! You know how much trouble I'm having with math and science! There's a chance I might not pass this time and I don't want to spend my summer vacation in school!"

"What makes this year different than any other year?!" Otto demanded.

"What difference does it make!" Reggie argued as she tried to break the two boys up, but Otto was pretty strong and his grip on Twist just wouldn't let up. "Leave him alone! He needed help with his Geometry and I was helping him!"

Otto thought for a short moment, his grip still tight on Twister's shirt. He then narrowed his eyes at Reggie in suspicion. "Why ask you when he could ask the Squid! We _all_ know that he's the smartest out of all of us."

"Because I offered, _that's_ why! Now let him go and chill out!! _What_ is your problem anyway!"

Otto let go of Twister, who fell back onto the couch. He turned to his sister and pointed a finger at her. "_You're_ the one with the problem, _Reg_!" he said while glaring at her. "_You're_ the one hanging around with the loser!"

Twister stared up at Otto in a daze, as if trying to compute what his so-called "best friend," had said. "Loser?"

"Twister is _so_ not a loser, you dork!" Reggie retorted angrily. She had grown tired of her brother's attitude, like Twister had earlier. "The only loser I see here is you! Twister, as well as Sam and I, have been trying to figure you out for the past couple of weeks. You keep talking about being the best; the best at _what_?!? There's no such thing as the best _any_thing!"

"Whatever!" he snorted. "Maybe _you_ can't be the best, but I'm going to be the best extreme athlete Ocean Shores has ever seen! Better than you, my so-called 'best bro,' and everyone else!" He then said softly, "I made a promise to be!"

'Promise? What's he _talking_ about?'

"I'm going to bed. Later, much," Otto finally said as he headed towards the stairs, but before heading up, he turned back and gave Twister a hateful, icy stare. One worse than stink eye. "Don't you _dare_ try anything with my sister, _trai_tor, or else you'll regret it!"

"_Try_ something? I'll regret it?" He couldn't believe it. Had Otto actually _threatened_ him, his best friend of over 10 years?

"Oh that stupid brother of mine!" Reggie fumed. She wanted to knock him senseless for the way he had just treated Twister.

"What would I try?" Twister asked in perplexity. He was too dazed to think the obvious. "What's he talking about?"

Any other time, Reggie just would've laughed at the boy for asking such a question and explain it to him, but this time, she wasn't in the mood to put up with the boy's naïve ness since she was still sore at Otto for the way he had acted towards them for the day. She was just glad that Sam hadn't fallen victim to her brother's unnecessary outburst.

"Just forget about it, Twist. Otto is just being stupid."

"I think I'll go home," Twister said quickly, standing up. He started to gather his schoolbooks and papers and began hastily stuffing them into his backpack. "I have to make sure everything is ready for the Pep Rally tomorrow afternoon. I have to film the whole thing."

This news wasn't surprising to Reggie. Twister, since he _was_ head of the A/V club, and the most experienced, always had to film school activities and events, unless he was a participant himself, but for this year, he didn't have to worry about that since his only extra-curricular school activity _was_ A/V and that was enough right there. He didn't even join Art Club for the year, but he remained in Chorus, which met during his Study Hall. 

For A/V, he had to video tape all of the school sports events, plays the drama club put on, pep rallies, school concerts, and he had to even make sure everything was set up for their school news broadcast before lunch every Friday. He even had to overlook the editing process. He had a lot of responsibilities when it came to A/V. 

He didn't play any extra sports, not like Otto, since he wanted to devote more of his time to improving his cinematography skills. The only sports-related club he would've considered joining, if their school had it, was the Skate Club. Their Elementary and middle school had it, but not high school. 

"But your film equipment is at school," she gently put a hand on his shoulder, "you just keep your Twist Cam at home."

"I still should go." A frown formed on the boy's face and he stared down at the floor, totally depressed. "I don't think Otto wants me around right now."

"No Twist, don't go," Reggie protested as she took her hand from off of his shoulder. "Let's talk about this!"

He shook his head as he strapped his backpack onto his back. "Thanks, but no thanks, Reg. I don't think there's anything we _can_ talk about. Otto hates me now and that's all there is to it. What's there to talk about?"

Reggie could tell that Twister was terribly hurt over Otto's actions and words and really wanted to try and help him in some way, but she couldn't think of anything. She finally gave in and nodded slowly. "Yeah, okay Twist. I guess I'll see you in the morning."

"Yeah," he said shortly as he headed towards the front door, rushing out.

"Whoa, whoa, Twister, where's the fire!" a certain blonde asked after being nearly bumped into by the younger boy. There had been so much commotion going on inside the house, that neither he nor Reggie heard Ray's loud sputtering, backfiring car pull up.

"Hi Mr. Rocket," Twister said dully as he made his way past him. "Bye Mr. Rocket."

Ray stared after Twister and scratched his head balding head. "_Mr._ Rocket?" When he walked into the house, he saw Reggie seated on the couch deep in thought. "Hey, Rocket Girl!"

Reggie looked back to see Ray by the front door, locking up for the night. "Dad!"

Ray sat down next to Reg on the couch, shutting off the TV. "Looks like you two had quite a meal here." 

On the surfboard table, the bowls where Reggie and Twister ate their sundaes was still there, along with the Styrofoam container, which had held Twister's burger. He had eaten that first.

Reg nodded weakly, realizing that due to Otto's stupidity, she had forgotten all about getting Twister to help clean up.

"Any idea what's wrong with Twister? He called me 'Mr. Rocket.' He hasn't called me that since he and Otto first became friends."

Reggie shrugged. "Who knows, I guess he was just being silly." 

"Hey, is Otto home?"

"Yeah, he went to bed a while ago," she said quickly. She really didn't feel like discussing anything dealing or relating to Otto as of the moment since she was still annoyed with him.

"Hey, I thought Twister was going to stay over."

"He remembered something he had to do at home involving his Audio Visual club stuff and said he'll meet up with me and Sammy in the morning."

"What about Otto?"

"Well, he's been leaving a bit earlier than us lately," Reggie lied. 

"I hope he's getting early morning tutoring," Ray mumbled. "So, you and Twister finish that math homework of yours?" She nodded. "It's right, isn't it?"

She nodded again and stood up, picking up the sundae bowls and any other trash out on the surfboard table. "You know what, Raymundo, I'm a bit tired. I'm going to clean this up and crash."

"Don't worry about that, sweetheart," Ray stood up and took the bowls away from her, "I'll clean this up. You go on to bed. I'm sure you worked hard this evening with that math and I'm sure you worked even harder trying to help out Twister. He's never been all that good in math."

"Are you sure? I made the mess, and I should clean it."

"No, go right ahead. It's not much and you always do such a good job of keeping the house in order when I am busy with work. Tonight was the biggest crowd we've had all week! I bet tomorrow's going to be even more hectic!"

Reggie forced on a small smile and hugged her father. "Thank you, dad." Surprised by her actions, he hugged her back. 

"What for?"

"For everything." She didn't understand why she felt she had to hug her father, but felt good about it. At least he didn't dislike her or hate her like Otto seemed to.

"Anytime Rocket Girl," Ray told her. "Now, you better head on to bed, kiddo."

She nodded and headed up to her room, closing the door behind her...


	14. Chapter 13: Lars's Friendly Offer!

Whee, I am back with another chapter for you all! Thanks for still reading and thanks for the reviews!! ^_^ Lars is back everyone for this chapter and he talks with Reggie since he's concerned over Twister's strange behavior, even though he doesn't want to admit that he's actually concerned. lol I guess it's sorta hinted at that Lars is definitely attracted to Reg and in the back of his mind, definitely sees her as potential girlfriend material. 

And mike2000 gets a cookie for being pretty much right, sort of. I didn't really mean anything by the loser statement. I just didn't want to be redundant by using "traitor" constantly. ^^ But you were 100% correct as to why he sees him as a traitor. He's spending a lot more time with Reggie and even using her more in his videos - which was pointed out by Sam in chapter 4 - even if Twister doesn't realize it. That's another reason why Otto's semi-cross with Reggie. He feels that she's stealing his best friend from him and the spotlight.

In response to what one of you said - sorry can't recall who it was right off - I don't feel Twister is really stupid, but more so slow on the uptake or for a better word, naive when it comes to some topics of discussion. Twist can be smart when he wants to be. lol

Oh, something else, I don't know when I'm going to bring Otto back into this fic quite yet. Well, he will be at the pep rally, but I haven't decided what chapter I want that to happen in quite yet. And the day after the competition is when I plan on having Otto back to his usual, caring self and apologize too. ^_^

Well, enjoy this chapter and I hope everyone has a really nice holiday! Hopefully, my one-shot RP fic will be up for your reading pleasures, so keep an eye out for it. Who knows what I'll be doing for Christmas. I know, hanging over at my aunt's house to play with my younger cousin's Gamecube. She's getting Mario Kart Double-Dash! lol

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with Rocket Power. Klasky-Csupo has that honor.

* * *

Chapter 13: Lars's Friendly Offer?! 

Next day, Reggie awoke early to shower, anxious to get to school. She didn't want to see Otto, and was planning on avoiding him. She was still a bit mad over the way he had treated both her and Twister. She really felt the need to apologize to him.

Before falling asleep the previous night, she spent a good while thinking over her day, trying to figure out Otto, but that only made her angry. If he didn't want her help, or his friends' help, why should she bother offering. 

After that, she started thinking about Twister and how he had treated her to the amusement park, the concern he had shown for her after Otto blew up at the both of them, and just how nice he had been in general. She just couldn't get him off of her mind, and she was still trying to figure him out. 

What really stayed on her mind was the hug he had given her. She had really enjoyed the embrace, even if it _was_ innocent. She felt very content about it, but at the same time, it made her feel awkward. A hug from a friend shouldn't mean anything and it shouldn't be stuck on her mind either. 

The strangest thing of all was how she wouldn't have minded having Twister hug her again, to be close to him like that just seemed heavenly to her and she wouldn't mind trying to get another hug out of him, even if she was the one to initiate it. Too bad she didn't understand why. 'Why should it matter?' she continued to ask herself until she had finally fallen into a deep slumber, unable to answer her own question.

Reggie went through her closet and took out a white spaghetti strapped shirt - the Squid had informed her the previous day after school when waiting around for Twister that this day was going to be incredibly hot - a pair of light brown capris, and flip-flops.

"I guess this'll be okay," the girl murmured as she changed. 

After she dressed and propped her shades on the top of her head, she ran downstairs. It was very quiet, and Ray was nowhere to be found. Reggie figured that he had left early to do some stocking at the repair shop. As for Otto, she wasn't sure if he had left or not, not that she cared.

The girl headed out the front door, locking it behind her. Within a minute or two, she arrived on the doorstep of the Rodriguez home, and rung the bell.

It didn't take long before the door was opened.

"Whoa, it's Rocket Dork's sister!" the older boy exclaimed, his Spanish accent stronger than ever. 

Reggie had to admit, she always _did_ find Lars's accent cute, but she would never admit that to anyone, not even Trish or Sherry. They both probably would've thought of her as strange if she had.

One thing she always wondered was why Twister's accent wasn't that strong. As a matter of fact, it was like he didn't have one at all, unless he actually spoke Spanish, and he rarely did that whenever around them, unless it was some simple phrase that everyone knew. Lars wasn't born in Ocean Shores like Twister was, but seems he would've lost his accent at some point from living there for such a long time.

"An angel has been bestowed upon me," Lars joked as he got down on one knee as if worshipping the girl. He had to do something to keep from staring at her and teasing was the only thing he knew he could do and get away with.

"Can it, Lars. Where's Twister?"

He stood up. "What does it matter, Rocket Dork's sister, you can talk to me."

Reggie laughed a bit. "Now _why_ would I want to do that?"

Lars flashed her a big grin. "Because I am the All-Mighty Lars," he flexed his muscles, "and _all_ girls love me!" 

This was somewhat true. Lars had dated some girls, but the relationships never really lasted since the girls he ended up dating were pretty shallow and self-absorbed. They seemed only interested in cars, clothes, and fashion, and if he ever mentioned street hockey or any other sport he enjoyed playing or watching, the girls would turn up their noses at him. He could never seem to find any common ground with the girls or even common interests. He pretty much dated them for all of the wrong reasons; they were pretty. 

The only reason the girls seemed to like hanging out with him was due to his popularity and that he had his own car. Sure he was a bit of a bully, mostly to his brother and his "lame-o dork friends," but he was rather popular amongst his peers, and he was considered cute to the female students. 

Lars had hoped that one day, he'd be able to date a girl that would understand him or at least talk about something other than the latest boy band, or what the latest sales were at the mall; maybe a nice, down to earth girl who also liked sports, but he knew better than to hold his breath waiting for such a girl to come along, especially since he considered that particular girl to be out of his league. She never seemed to pick up on his subtle hints through his joking around.

"Well, All-Mighty Lars, _this_ girl would like to speak to the All-Mighty Maurice."

"Well, can't say I didn't try. Come on in Rocket Dork's sister."

"My _name_ is Reggie."

"Yeah, and your point is?" Reggie shook her head at him as she walked in, Lars shutting the door behind her. "Hey, speaking of Rocket Dork, what's going on with him and my brother?"

"What do you mean?"

"He_llo_!! He's spending all of his time at home or with you and the Squid and he's speaking Spanish a lot more than what he would normally and whenever he does that, he's depressed about something. 

"The twisted one seems to have been down a lot lately, and I overheard him muttering some stuff from his room last night, but he was speaking so fast, even _I _couldn't catch what he was saying. That's something else he does whenever he's upset about something, speaks his Spanish _really_ fast, like mom whenever she's really mad at us about whatever."

"If I didn't know any better, Lars, I'd say you were actually concerned over your bro."

"Wh-what?!?" he stammered. "_Me_? Con_cerned_?!?"

She nodded, her arms folded over her chest.

He shook his head. "Uh-uh, chica! He's moping around like a lame-o and it's, um, getting on my nerves!" Reggie gave him a look, not really believing him. "I-I'm just wondering if the shrimpo and dork-o are trying to psyche me out before our match next week and Twister is only pretending to be depressed." 

"No, they are _not_ trying to psyche you out, and yes, something _is _going on with Otto and it's probably bumming Twister out. I don't know what's going on with Otto, Sam doesn't, Twister doesn't," she sighed depressingly, "Otto seems to have something against us now and I don't know what that is or why he does."

Lars rubbed the back of his neck and gave the younger girl a serious look, one Reggie had never seen before. He always seemed to joke around whenever he _would_ talk to her. 

"Yo, Reg, if you need any help, or whatever, you know, you can, like, um, ask me or, um, something."

Reggie gave Lars a gentle smile. "I'll keep that in mind." 

She was probably one of the few who had seen a decent, human side to Lars. As a matter of fact, the two got along fairly well. You would've never guessed that the two didn't get along when they were kids. As for now, they weren't really friends - it wasn't like they hanged out at the Pier or movies, like she did with Sam, Twister, Trent, Trish, or Sherry - but they were _far_ from being enemies. Reggie considered Lars to be more so an acquaintance than an actual _friend_ friend and she actually felt very comfortable talking to him on occasion. It had been that way for the past couple of years now. Reggie figured he'd finally matured.

Occasionally, Reg would chat with him on the phone, or online (which was rare since both were always busy with sports). Other times, he may catch her in the hall at school and he'd speak to her then giving her a nice, casual "hello." Reg had never really mentioned how good she and Lars got along to Otto, Twister, or Sam. She knew that both Otto and Twister would call her crazy, and Sam would probably quiver in fear over the thought of it, or either tell her to keep her guard up since she didn't know what Lars was capable of. 

Lars was two years older than Reggie, but was only one grade up on her. He started school a year later than he was supposed to due to the move from Mexico to Ocean Shores. He wasn't prepared enough for Kindergarten when it was time for him to go, and his English still wasn't too good.

"Well, uh, chica, I should probably go," Lars said quickly and nervously. He hated the fact Reggie was so pretty. It made talking with her, lately, a bit awkward, mainly because he liked to think of her as Rocket Dork's sister, not as a hottie whom of which he, surprisingly, had quite a bit in common with.

"Why?" She turned up her nose. "You have to meet up with another cheerleader to walk to class or something?"

"Oh, you don't know _how_ wrong you are, Rocket Dork's sister. I'm stuck helping to set up for the pep rally later this afternoon and some other executive senior stuff. Why not ditch Twister and the Squid and come with me? At least you'll get to school in style and you wouldn't have to walk with those lame-os."

The girl gave up whenever it came to his name-calling. No matter what, he would always call Twister, Otto, and Sam some kind of a name.

"I would," Reggie began, "but I really ought to talk to Twister. I have something to discuss with him."

"Well, maybe we could hang out another time, eh Rocket Dork's sister?" He sounded somewhat hopeful.

Reggie shrugged, not really seeing what the big deal was. "I guess."

"Great! Maybe we could talk or-or something."

"Having girl trouble again?"

"Well, you could say that," Lars responded slowly, trying to tear his eyes off of the pretty girl that stood before him. "Anyway, chica, let's meet up after school, or maybe I could catch you during lunch, or better yet, you could _join_ me for lunch!" Lars gave the girl a smug smile and gloated, "I have special senior privileges, which means _I_ can leave campus for lunch and the rest of you lame-os---"

"Watch it Lars," Reggie threatened.

"---I-I mean, the _rest_ of the lame-os, minus you, don't; and we both have the same lunch period."

"Well," she thought for a moment, curious as to why Lars was so anxious to hang out with her, "okay. I guess it'll be okay to hang out off campus, just make sure I get back in time for my Journalism class and leave your three idiot friends behind. I don't mind hanging around you, but the Three Stooges are another story."

"Don't worry about that, Rocket Dork's sister; I'll speed and make sure you get back in time," he said with a laugh.

"You just want an excuse to speed."

He clicked his tongue and winked at her. "You got it, chica. I'm a speed demon whenever I can get away with it, and of course I wouldn't take Pi, Sputz, or Animal with me anyplace. I don't even let them in my car! My old man would kill me if I did, with the way they are, but anyone else, it's cool. I worked way too hard for that car; I'm not going to blow it now so close to my 19th birthday and graduation. 

"I gave Pi one chance, and he blew it by leaving that cigarette burn on the seat! I was grounded for, like, forever after pop found out I had someone in the car smoking!" He bawled up his right fist and swung it as if he were hitting someone. "Pi got a _good_ whomping out of me for that one, and there is no way in _hell_ I'm going to have Sputz or Animal in the car with their addictions! What if a cop stops me? I'll get arrested!" 

'And you're still friends with them because?' Reggie felt like asking. She always wanted to ask him that, but could never bring herself to. She felt it wasn't her place to say anything and that the four of them obviously had some kind of a bond for Lars to put up with them. Lars had matured slightly - probably from hanging around her at times - but the other three didn't seem to care about their futures at all.

Lars went towards the front door. "Well, I'm out. I'll see you at lunch outside of the cafeteria, Reg, and we can talk then about whatever you feel you need to talk about." 

She nodded to him as he exited the Rodriguez home, Lars asking himself, 'Why did I do that?'

Lars was a lot nicer than he obviously let on. Sure, he still got into trouble sometimes, like on Mischief Night, but he never did anything _really bad, like drink, smoke, or take drugs. Even _he_ had his limitations, too bad one couldn't say the same about his three idiot friends. Lars's chubby friend, Pi Piston, was a smoker, the tall, incoherent Sputz Ringley drank constantly, making it even more difficult to understand him, and the quiet, short Animal did both. Reggie wouldn't have been surprised if Animal did more than that. He always seemed out of it and high. _

All three had offered Lars cigarettes and alcohol, but he always turned them down. Lars was pretty athletic, and he would hate to mess up his health by doing such unnecessary things. Reggie did admire that about him. She had seen him turn the three down and they seemed to respect that. If they didn't, he would probably just whomp all three of them and all three of them saw Lars as a leader, and feared him some. All three were also too stupid to think on their owns and with the alcohol damage, they're probably ten times stupider than what they already were. 

One thing Reggie always wondered was why Lars remained friends with them, and how they could function together as a team. The Lasers was always tough competition, and she, and the others, had seen them practice. They were outstanding! Lars had come up with new plays, determined to beat the Rockets this year, especially since this was going to be the Lasers' last season.  
****   
RP: Sorry, but I never did know when the Street Hockey season was. I'm assuming that it's summer since they always seem to be out of school whenever they do play. ^^  
****  
'I wonder what's with Lars. He was acting a lot nicer than he normally would and what's there for me to talk about with him? He always has girl trouble, which he's mentioned to me before. I think he was dating that blonde girl, a cheerleader, named Sarah Jenkins. I don't know how he can put up with her! She is _such a snob!!' She rolled her eyes. 'She's in my gym class! She refuses to do anything in fear of breaking a nail.' _

"Lars!" Reggie heard a voice call, her train of thought broken...  
****

A/N: Hope you all liked Lars for this chapter. Like I've mentioned before, I don't feel he's all that bad since at times, he does show he can be caring and concerned for the welfare of Twister. I also always liked the idea of Lars and Reggie getting along somewhat, which is why I used it.

I guess it's also pretty obvious that Lars has a bit of an attraction towards Reggie, but I don't think I'll have him act on that so sorry to all of you Reggie x Lars fans. I like that pairing, but I really like Reggie x Lars friendship stuff even more. ^_^


	15. Chapter 14: Observations and Sam's Secre...

Okay, I might as well say this. By the way I'm going with this story, it seems that it may turn out to be a Twister x Reggie fic after all - especially if you read my Christmas fic Twister's Thoughtful Christmas Gift! - even though I have it that Trent likes Reggie and that Lars sorta does. 

In reference to the last season for the Lasers stuff, they should all be getting ready to graduate and going off to college. I'm thinking of it as more so of a Junior League type thing. Roller Hockey League for those 18 and under, so after this year Lars and his cronies'll be too old to participate in this particular league anymore because of their ages. *Hope that made sense* 

Anyway, for this chapter, expect the "major TwistReg hint," I made reference to earlier, and Sam has theories as to why Otto's acting the way that he is, but neither one of them can figure out what he has against Twister (even though mike2000 already guessed right). If you're wondering, Otto's not going to confide in Sam, Reg, or Twist with his problem. Instead, he's going to tell everything to another character that should be showing up soon. I'll explain that more later on. ^_^

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with Rocket Power. Klasky-Csupo has that honor.

* * *

Chapter 14: Observations and Sam's Secret Crush! 

"Lars!" Reggie heard a voice call, her train of thought broken. 

A woman with long, brown hair walked out into the hall. This was Mrs. Sandy Rodriguez, the boys' mother. It was quite obvious that Lars took after her looks wise. They had the exact same hair types. Twister was more like their father, Raul. 

When the woman saw Reggie by the front door she smiled to her. 

"Oh, mija, buenas dias!" she greeted as she hugged the girl. 

"Mi hija?" 

"Well Reggie, you are like the daughter I never had," she said as she let go of her. 

"Well, good morning to you too, Mrs. Rodriguez." 

"Do you have any idea where Lars is?" 

"He left already." 

"Oh, I guess I'll share the news with him later, or maybe I'll surprise both my boys with the special guest that's coming over this afternoon." She looked over at the wall clock, noting the time. "My, you are here early, would you like some breakfast?" 

"No thank you, Mrs. Rodriguez. I'm not too hungry today; besides, on Fridays we normally go to the shack for a quick bite." This was true. The last thing on her mind was breakfast, especially since her stomach was incredibly nervous. It had been that way since she had first awakened that morning and made the decision on greeting Twister. 

"It sure was nice of you to help Maurice with his homework." 

"It was no problem. I knew he was having trouble with his math, so I didn't mind. I told him that I could tutor him from now up until we start our finals." 

"Gracias, Reggie, gracias! I'm sure Maurice will do very well with a good friend tutoring him." 

Reggie nodded slowly. Did she really _want _to tutor him while alone? Why did she feel so strange around the boy now? It was like she constantly wanted to be near him. It had been that way for a while; the previous night just confirmed it. She had been in denial up until then. She really wished someone could explain it to her. 

"How come he came back home last night? I thought he was going to stay over." 

"Well, um, he remembered something he had to do for A/V and decided not to stay over." 

"Oh," the woman said plainly. 

"That's what he said to me," Reggie added on quickly. She had this feeling that Mrs. Rodriguez wasn't all that convinced. "So, is he around?" 

"Yes, he should be coming down any moment now, unless you want to go up to him. You can if you want." 

"I guess I could," Reggie said slowly. "Um," she was hesitant, "Twister said something yesterday and I'm not sure what it meant. It seemed to be a bit embarrassing to him because of how he reacted after he said it." 

"Oh?" the woman asked, obviously curious. 

"Yeah, he said something like...like...oh, I can't remember!!" she said with a bashful laugh. The girl decided not to discuss such a thing with Mrs. Rodriguez. It'd probably embarrass Twister very badly if she did. 'I'll ask Lars instead. I wouldn't want Mrs. Rodriguez to worry about him.' 

"Are you sure, dear?" 

"Yes, ma'am." 

Right at that moment, they heard someone running down the stairs. Both turned to see Twister. 

"Mamá, estoy---Reggie?" 

"Hiya, Twist." 

"What are you doing here? Usually the Squid and me come by and get you." 

"I just decided to come by early today." 

"Well, I'll just leave you two alone," Mrs. Rodriguez told them, heading back into the kitchen. 

"So, what's up?" Twister asked uneasily. 

"I wanted to talk...and-and to apologize." 

"Apologize for what?" 

"Apologize for the way Otto treated you. It was really rude." 

"Oh, don't worry about that, Reg. I'm sure he'll come around sooner or later." 

"Are you sure you're okay?" Reggie asked, surprised as to how positive he was being. From the way Lars was talking, it seemed as if Twister had been really upset. 

"Of course I'm fine, now let's head over to the shack! I'm in the mood for some of Tito's breakfast burritos!" 

The boy picked up his backpack and opened the front door. "Mom, dad, I'm leaving now." 

"Okay, mijo, have a nice day at school!" his mother called back to him. 

"See you later, Maurice." 

Reggie followed Twister outside, shutting the door behind her. 

"Let's go pick up the Squid," he said, walking ahead of her towards the Dullard home. With more people around, the less anxious and nervous he would feel around Reggie, which is why he was adamant to go to the Shore Shack and to fetch Sammy. 

They were right at the driveway of Sam's place when Reggie called to the redhead. 

"Twister, wait!" He stopped walking and turned to face her. "I never did thank you for yesterday." 

"Oh, that again? I said it was no problem." He felt his heart skip a beat since she stepped closer to him. 

"No, you really deserve something." Before Twister knew it, Reggie had wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you again for everything, Twister," she whispered to him gently. 

The boy was mortified and could barely utter out a "You're welcome." Reggie was hugging him. He awkwardly hugged her back, pulling her closer to him. This was just what Reggie wanted. She wanted to be close to him again. She loved being in his arms, no matter how unusual it was. 

As for Twister, he didn't know what to think, he just knew that he loved holding Reggie this close to him. 

Reggie continued to hug onto Twister, but then looked up at him. He looked down at her, both caught in each other's gaze. It was like time was standing still for the both of them and they were the only ones in the world currently. Neither cared if anyone saw them embraced in such a way. At this point, Twister had the sudden urge to kiss her. Ironically, Reggie felt the same way. She couldn't quite explain it. 

They started to lean in slowly, about to kiss, when both heard someone groan in slight frustration, "Mom, I am _not_ going to get overheated wearing jeans today!" 

They broke their embrace quickly and stared down at the ground, their faces red. The person to complain was Sam. He was on his way out of the house, his mother, once again, acting like the over-protective person that she was. 

Sam shook his head and closed the front door. He really wished his mother would lighten up. Ever since his mother and father got divorced years ago, she remained overly protective of him. 

He smiled when he saw Reggie and Twister already there. Luckily, for Twister and Reggie, he hadn't seen their almost kiss. Both, though, were secretly disappointed that they didn't kiss. 

'Oh my gosh!! I almost kissed Twister!! What's wrong with me!! He's my bro! I mean...it probably would've been nice...no no no, I mean...why am I feeling this way around him? I've always felt a little something, but not as much as now!' 

'Oh no! This isn't right! I can't believe I almost kissed Reggie! She's like my sister! My very pretty, wonderful sister...no, eww, gross dude! Reggie is like family! I'm not supposed to fall for family like that!!' 

"Ohayou gozaimasu!" Sam greeted with a wave. 

"Oh hi yo go za wha?" Twister asked; trying his best act like nothing had almost happened between him and Reggie. 

"Ohayou gozaimasu!" Sam repeated. 

"He-he's practicing his Japanese, Twist," Reggie explained to the boy. 

"Hai, Reggie-san," Sam nodded. 

"Ugh, Squid talk!!" Twister groaned while holding his head. "I can barely understand what you say in English!" 

"It's Japanese, and it is a polite way of saying good morning," Sam lightly corrected, "and I should practice outside of class as well." Sam studied the two before him. "Are you two okay? You both look a bit red." 

"Um, well, it _is_ kind of warm out, so I guess the heat is getting to us early," Reggie said nervously while fanning herself. 

Sam stared at her, not really believing her. 'Something's up,' he thought as he looked from Twister to Reggie. "Yeah, I guess so," he finally said. "Anyway, let's head over to the shack for some _major_ grindage! I'm starved!" 

Reggie put an arm around Sam and smiled at him. "You're always hungry." 

"You make it sound like a bad thing," Sam laughed. "Saa, ikou!" 

Twister blinked in stupidity. 

"It means 'come on, let's go.'" 

"Why didn't you just say so!!" 

"I _did_!!" 

"I meant so I'd understand what you said!" 

"So, in other words, you prefer that I speak in either Spanish or English?" 

"Um, doesn't matter, as long as I understand you," Twister said with a timid laugh. 

Sam rolled his eyes. "Let's go." 

With that, Sam led the way to the Shore Shack, Reggie and Twister on each side of him. Both were pretty quiet. Sam found this pretty weird. It was a pep rally day, Twister normally bragged on and on about them and how he would plan on taping the event. He also found it odd that neither one of them had mentioned anything about Otto. 

"So," Sam began, the silence was driving him crazy, "what happened with Otto yesterday?" 

"Otto?" Reggie absent-mindedly asked. 

"Well, yeah. I saw him yesterday afternoon skating off. I figured that he must've had some kind of an argument with you." 

"Oh, that. Well, yes, he did. Twist came over and both of us caught him on the half-pipe. He said so many harsh things to the both of us, Sam. I'm just glad you weren't there for him to rag on you like he did Twist and me." 

"What'd he say?" 

Reggie, who was feeling less uneasy, told Sam about everything that had happened that afternoon with Otto and of the previous night, minus the part about Twister holding her in his sleep. She knew about it. She awoke before Otto had come in and noticed, but just smiled contently and went back to sleep. 

"Man, harsh! That's definitely not like Otto. We still should try to figure out what the problem is and what he means by 'traitor.'" Sam glanced to his right to his taller friend. "Any ideas, Twist?" 

"Oh, um, no, not at all. I don't know what's with O-man," he answered quickly, his mind wandering back to his almost kiss with Reggie. 

"Oh-kay," Sam said slowly, still finding Twister's behavior bizarre. He would never remain quiet for so long in thought, unless he was upset about something. Like the time he thought he had cracked his voice. "Anyway, after Otto left, I saw you and Twister run off. Where'd you go?" 

"Oh, um, Twister and I just decided to go to the Pier, that's all, and while there, we went to the shack and the amusement park." 

"Speaking of the Shore Shack, we're almost there and I have an appetite today so I'll race the both of you there!" He walked a bit ahead of the two and stood in front of them. "The last one to the Shore Shack is a lame-o!" 

"_Dude_, the Squid wants to race?!" Twister asked in amazement. 

"Finally, I have your attention!" Sam said, pointing a finger at Twister. "You've been spaced out the entire time." 

"Maybe I have some things on my mind, _Squid_!" Twister snapped at the shorter boy. 

"Gomen, gomen," Sam apologized hastily. The last thing he wanted to do was to piss someone like Twister off. Just like what he said about Lars, he had also said about Twister. About how no one knows what he's capable of since he _could be a bit temperamental at times like his brother. "Let's just hurry up and get there!" _

The three friends finally made it to the Shore Shack. Since it was still early, the crowds weren't overbearing as of yet. 

They took a seat in front of the counter, Sam separating Twister and Reggie by sitting in the middle of them. 

"Why hello there lil cuzzes," Tito greeted. "I'm sure you're here for a nice hearty breakfast!" 

"We sure are, Tito!" Sam said anxiously. 

"What about you two?" 

"Of course," Twister said with a weak smile. 

"Same here, Tito," Reggie said distantly. Her mind was still stuck on Twister, just as his was stuck on her. "So, Tito, where's dad?" 

"He's down at the repair shop doing some stocking, but he'll be back soon, so until then, I can handle your orders. Pancakes, bacon, and eggs for you and Sam and breakfast burritos for Twister, right?" 

"Correctomundo!" 

"Affirmative," Sam nodded. 

"No thanks, Tito. I just want a bagel and cream cheese." 

"A bagel and cream _cheese_?!" all three asked in unison. 

"Yeah, I'm not too hungry today." 

"Are you sure everything is all right, lil cuz?" 

"Yeah, I'm fine, Tito. Why?" 

"Well, you have been eating a bit differently lately," Tito noted, "you aren't dieting, are you? You do know that you're a nice normal weight and-and that dieting isn't really necessary, lil cuz." Tito felt awkward having to ask such a question. 

"No, I'm not dieting, Tito. Just eating healthier. No reason." 

"If you say so." He sounded relieved. "Oh, Sammy, how is your mother doing?" 

"She's doing a bit better. That pineapple coconut tea you gave us is working pretty well. Her throat is no longer sore. She was even well enough this morning to tell me that I shouldn't wear jeans today due to how warm it's supposed to be." 

"It's my own special blend. A not so ancient Hawaiian recipe," he laughed. 

"Mom should be coming around pretty soon. She still hasn't recovered completely." 

"Good ole Paula," Tito smiled lovingly. "Maybe I'll go by later and see if there's anything else I can do for her." 

"Yeah, I guess," Sam stated simply with a shrug. 

The boy didn't know how to respond. Tito and his mom had been dating for a long time now and he still wasn't really used to it. Sam didn't hate Tito, as a matter of fact, he acted more like a father to him than his real one did, but it was still awkward for him to be dating his mother. 

He always wondered what would happen if the two married. Would Tito change? For the past couple of weeks or so, Tito seemed to want to ask Sam something, but would always chicken out at the last minute. Sam figured that Tito wanted to ask him how he would feel if he married his mother. 

"Well then, I'll get to those orders right away!" 

Tito headed over to the grill and prepared Sam and Twister's orders and while the grill heated up, Tito prepared Reg's bagel and cream cheese. After Tito got that together, he put eggs and bacon on the grill; he then handed Reggie a plate, which held her bagel, cream cheese, and a plastic knife. 

"Thanks Tito." 

"You're welcome 'lil wahini cuz, now let me get back to the grill before their food burns." 

"Are you feeling okay, Reg?" Sam asked. She seemed spaced out while spreading the cream cheese on her bagel. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why does everyone keep asking me that?" 

"Because you've been spreading that same half of bagel for like the past two or three minutes." 

"Oh!" She looked down and realized that she had. "Silly me." She took a bite. 

"If you say so," Sam muttered. "So, what will be our next plan of strategy!" 

"Plan of strategy?" Twister asked. 

"Yeah." 

"You mean you want to scrimmage _now_? We wouldn't have the time since we have to go school." 

Sam smacked his forehead. "NO! I'm talking about O-man, not street hockey. What are we going to do about him?" 

"After last night, I don't think I want to see him," Reggie murmured quietly. 

"But we have our big game next week, Reg! We have to get Otto back somehow. We have a very large winning streak, and the reason for that is because we've always played together as a team!" 

She sighed. "I know, Sam, I know!" 

"So what are we going to do? He'll definitely have to be at the pep rally this afternoon since he, Trent, and Trish are in that surf competition to represent Ocean Shores tomorrow." 

"So?" 

"_So_, he'll have to go to school today. One of us will definitely see him, and one of us should really talk to him. We must find the source of the problem." 

"I really don't feel like talking to him, Sammy---" 

"But, we shou---" 

"Lay off, Squid!" Twister snapped at the boy. "Can't you see Reg doesn't feel like talking about Otto!?" 

"Hold it, hold it!" Sam protested. "I didn't mean any harm, I just---" 

"It's okay, Twist. Sam's right. We _should find the source of the problem." _

Sam straightened up his glasses. "Well, it's quite obvious that _we_ are the source of his problem." 

"I don't really think so now, Sam. I think it's something else. He said something about a promise last night…if I only knew what he meant, that might explain what his malfunction is." 

"Okay, so he's made a promise to someone to be the best, but that still doesn't explain why he keeps insisting that Twister is a traitor." 

"Okay cuzzes," they heard a voice call. Sam stopped talking about Otto abruptly as he saw Tito approaching them. "Breakfast is served!" Tito walked up to the counter and put down a plate stacked with pancakes along with another plate that held bacon and eggs. He then walked back out, and then returned quickly with a plate filled with about eight of his breakfast burritos and a pitcher of orange juice. "Eat hearty!" 

"Arigatou gozaimasu!!" Sam exclaimed, his eyes lit up as he saw Tito setting down three cups. 

"Wait...I think I remember what you told me," Tito rubbed his chin. "Oh yeah, dou itashimashite, bruddah."

"Hey, you remembered!"

"Of course! The wise Tito Makani never forgets."

"And what does all that mean?" Reggie asked, nibbling on the other half of her bagel.

"I said 'Thank you very much,' and Tito responded by saying, 'you're welcome,' but in a very polite, formal way."

"Well, I have some dishes that need washing in the back. Aloha 'lil cuzzes."

"See ya, Tito," all three called to him.

"Okay, back to what I was saying earlier, we have to figure out why Otto is so pissed at Twister. With you, it could be just sibling rivalry."

"Sibling wha?" Twister asked, his mouth filled with the egg, cheese, & sausage breakfast burrito.

"Sibling rivalry. It normally occurs between siblings," Sam responded sarcastically.

"That junk doesn't happen with me and Lars," Twister insisted while pouring himself some juice.

"On the contrary, it happens with you two every time you face off in a hockey match or any other sport where you are paired up against each other. What happens when you go home after your matches against one another?"

"Um, we yell at each other about who the better player and team is, I always make the mistake of punching him since he pisses me off, and then he starts to whomp me until mom tells us both to shut up and for him to stop whomping me. Later, we always end up getting back into it and then we challenge each other to see whose team is better every season!"

"See, there you go. You and Lars just get physical with your confrontations; apparently, with Otto, he just gets verbal and closed up. With Reg, he wouldn't dare hit her so instead, he argues. I personally think that the stress for the upcoming competition has a lot to do with his bad attitude and that he didn't mean anything he said to us. I thought about this a lot yesterday."

"But he's never stressed this much over a surf contest before," Twister pointed out.

"True, but he must have more of a reason to want to win this one. It's almost like he's trying to win it for someone other than himself, hence the promise factor that Reggie mentioned."

"Wow, Squidman, you may be onto something!"

Sam gave Twist an arrogant smile. "I know."

"But that still doesn't explain why he's so tweaked at Twister," Reggie said sullenly.

"Okay, for that I haven't any theories as to what could be wrong. I think it's a whole separate issue."

"I guess," the girl mumbled. She finished her bagel and gulped down some of the juice. She then hopped off her stool. "I think I'll head on to school."

"How come, Reg?" Sam asked as he swallowed down three strips of crisp bacon.

"No real reason."

"Well, okay Reg. I'll see you at lunch."

"Oh yeah, about that, Sam...I'm not going to lunch today."

"But today is pizza day!" Twister exclaimed. "No one misses pizza day!" He then got a dreamy look. "And they always sell Freezy Freezes on Friday! I sure love Freezy Freezies!"

"Well, I'm still going to miss lunch today."

"But if you leave that means I won't have a reason to sit in my usual spot! I-I mean I'll be with Sherry by myself---"

"What about Sherry? She's your friend, isn't she?"

"Of-of course she is!" Sam sounded very nervous, which Twister noticed.

"Well, Trent and Trish'll probably be there, Sammy, don't worry." 

With that, the girl took off.

Sam took out his inhaler and started to breathe through it. 

"Yo, Squid, are you okay?"

"I...am...fine..." he said between breaths. He put his inhaler down. "Lunch...with...Sherry...without...Reg...around..."

"So? What's the big deal?"

"With Reg around, I'm not as nervous around her." He ate his last pancake as Twister finished his final burrito.

"What's there to be nervous about?"

"What if I embarrass myself in front of Sherry?! I never know what to say to her unless she and Reg start up a conversation first and I just join it!" Sam started to breathe through his inhaler again.

Twister grinned at him and put an arm around his shoulder. "The Squid likes Sherry, the Squid likes Sherry!!"

"I-I-I do not!" he stammered, his face a light shade of magenta.

Tito walked back out at that moment. "Oh, Reggie's gone, huh?"

"Yeah, she-she left after she ate her bagel. W-wanted to get to school early."

"Whoa, easy there Sammy, what's wrong? Your face is redder than a roasted pig at a luau."

"Um, nothing's wrong. It's just getting hot out, that's all! Thanks for the meal, Tito! Sayonara!" Sam took off down the Pier.

"What's with him?"

"I'm not too sure, Tito, but I have an idea. Later and thanks for the meal!"

Twister grabbed his backpack and ran to catch up with Sam. When he caught up to him, he was still puffing on his inhaler. 

"So, Squid," Sam screamed and jumped since Twist startled him, "when are you going to tell Sherry that you like her!"

"I do _not_ like Sherry in that way!" Sam insisted, his cheeks reddening even more.

"_Sure_ you don't," he said with a sly grin. "I don't notice stuff like this too often, and even _I_ can tell that you like her!!"

Sam gave Twister a look of annoyance, finally growing tired of his friend's taunts. "You mean like how it's obvious that _you_ like Reggie!"

Twister's face went just as red as Sam's, even redder. "I do _not_ like Reggie!! She's like my sister! She's like family! She's like one of my gazillion cousins!"

"And yet, you like her in the romantic sense," Sam retorted. "I've known this for a long time, Twister. You never had to say anything, your actions alone is enough to show that you have a thing for her!"

"I do not like her like that! She-she's just a friend!"

"Whatever," Sam muttered. "Let's just get to school."

With that, the two continued to OSH in silence, lost in their own thoughts.

'Oh man, if someone like Twister can see that I like Sherry, then it _must_ be obvious!!' He inwardly gasped. 'What if she knows!!' He took out his inhaler and started to puff on it again.

'I don't like Reggie! Sure she's always on my mind and I would love to get her close to me, like how we were earlier, and just have one time to give her a passionate kiss and---no no no no!! Darn you Reggie!! Get out of my head!'  
******  
A/N: Yep, I like Sam x Sherry just like I do Tito x Paula. You all must admit, though, both Tito and Sam get along like a father and son, don't you think? 

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I had fun writing it and I got to hint at Sam x Sherry!! If you all read that Christmas fic I put up on Christmas, then you know whether or not Sam hooked up with her. The same goes for Tito and Paula, and if he asked to marry her. =P


	16. Chapter 15: Sam Gets Into A Fight! Sam'...

Thanks a whole lot for the reviews everyone!! Also, let me apologize in advanced for the length of this chapter. It's quite long, and I know how some people truly dislike reading long chapters - although, I'm not one of 'em and like to read long chapters ^^ - but I hope you decide to read anyway. 

Okay everyone, no Reggie and Lars quite yet. Originally, this chapter was supposed to cover Lars and Reggie's lunch stuff, but I decided to throw in a filler chapter. It's "All About Sam," pun intended. lol So, Sam fans rejoice, he's finally going to get some recognition. Out of the four - not counting Otto of course - he's been shown and dealt with the least I'd say for this fic so far, which is why I decided to write this chapter out (that and the fact that I have a slight writer's block and filler chapters normally helps to rid myself of it). 

Oh, also for this chapter, expect to see three new characters - well, not new since they've been on the show before. Two of the characters are seen frequently, the other character was only in one episode, and by my hint above through that pun, you all should be able to figure it out. :-P Anyway, enjoy. ^_^ 

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with Rocket Power. Klasky-Csupo has that honor.

* * *

Chapter 15: "Sam Gets Into A Fight?!?!" Sam's Showdown With The Obnoxious Bully!! 

Sam and Twister made it to school, both having an unspoken agreement not to ever mention what both accused one another of. 

The day went on as usual, and just as Sam had predicted, Otto did come to school. There was no way a person like him would miss school where he was going to be idolized for some of it. Twister was surprised Otto's head hadn't grown as large as his ego. He saw Otto during PE, even though he was late returning to class. He had left to go to the restroom, but didn't come back until the last part of class. Something had happened in the cafeteria earlier and Otto was in the principal's office for it, but other than that, he didn't know anything. He did wonder why he had a bruise on the side of his face, though. 

Both he and Otto didn't have the same Health/PE teacher, but they had it during the same class period and about three classes met at that time and shared the gym. He would see him in the locker room. Back when they were on speaking terms, they'd talk and discuss strategy. Not lately. The unfortunate thing about Twister was that his gym locker was right next to Otto's. He would hurry and dress out quickly so as to avoid having to associate with Otto, especially today after what happened the previous night. 

The students had eight classes - each an hour and a half long - and had four a day. Each day was broken up into odd and even days. 

Today was an odd-class day, which meant Twister had: 

1st period: History  
3rd period: Geometry   
5th period: Health/PE  
7th period: Cinematography 

On the even-class days, he had: 

2nd period: Biology I  
4th period: Spanish II   
6th period: English 10   
8th period: Study Hall/Art. (He helps out the art department, which he enjoys a lot)  
*****  
RP: Ironically, that's how it was for me when I was in High School. My sophomore year and my senior year, I had a study hall with an art teacher, and I got into the Art Club too because of it. The thing is, we weren't graded or anything in there and even if you weren't in the Art Club or had art courses, you could still help out with any projects the club may have been doing at the time. It was quite fun, actually. I never did have any "real" art courses past Elementary school since I've never had much artistic talent. ^^ 

Anyway, I decided to use that set up with Twister since he _is good in art - mentioned in Snow Day - and just because he's not in Art Club, for this fic, doesn't mean he has to let all of that artistic talent go to waste. ^_^  
*****  
Since the classes were running a bit shorter than usual, due to the upcoming pep rally, everyone had a free day, which meant the kids could play whatever it was they wanted. Some kids would play basketball in one part of the gym, another group would play volleyball, some badminton, and some, the girls mostly, would sit around and gossip, or jump rope, one. _

Twister decided to try his hand at a game of basketball - Horse to be exact - with some of the other students of his class. They were playing in teams. Along with him was the "weirdo," Eddie, Prince of the Netherworld! Okay, so he stopped wearing the mask and the cape - he didn't have much of a choice since school rules prohibited such attire - but he was still the same old Eddie who still worshipped Netherworld-like things. 

On the other side of the gym, near the locker rooms, a bunch of kids were gathered around Otto who was being asked about the surf competition occurring the following day. He sighed as she shot the ball, but missed once again. 

"_Twist_er!!" the kids of his team groaned since this had been his fifth consecutive miss. 

"Denizen of the light," Eddie's voice rasped, "your game stinks on ice!" He then spoke in his normal voice. "What's with you anyway, Twister? Your game is off." 

"I guess I don't feel like playing." 

"That's been the case with you for a while now. How come you and Otto haven't been hanging out as much lately?" 

"No reason. Anyway, class'll be letting out soon and I have to get to the A/V lab since it's Friday." 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Eddie mumbled. "Your game was still lame!" He raised his arms and laughed eerily. "I, Eddie, Prince of the Netherworld, have found a sport that I am better at than you! Mwahahahahaha!!" 

Twister walked off while rolling his eyes. "Yeah, whatever..." he muttered as he made his way across the gym. 

Crossing the gym meant passing by Otto, who of which was still acting as if he were some kind of celebrity. The majority of the girls surrounded him, who were all chatting away like crazy, questioning him and asking things like, "Are you going to crush the competition," or, "Were you _really_ a hero today?!" or, "What happened in the cafeteria!?" 

One thing strange about Otto was that he never seemed to take notice of girls in general, since the only thing on his mind were sports, going pro, sports, skating, and more sports. It was definitely the opposite for Otto; the girls all took notice to him, and why wouldn't they? He was a somewhat handsome guy - apparently, since the girls liked him so much - and he was a sports star who was on the verge of going pro. He definitely had the skills to become a pro skater. 

Twister stopped walking and glanced over in Otto's direction. He really wanted to talk to him and was trying to get the nerve to. Otto noticed Twister's glance. Their eyes locked momentarily, only he glared at the redhead and lightly scoffed. Twister sighed discouragingly and walked on to the locker room, to change and head on to the A/V lab...  
*****  
Sam rushed through the hallway, making his way to the cafeteria for lunch. He was already later than he wanted to be. He also really wished that Twister had the same lunch period as he did so he wouldn't feel as nervous. He also wished that he had just admitted to liking Sherry with Twister, but it was a natural reaction to deny it. 

On odd days, Twister and Otto had C-lunch. Their lunches were broken up into three separate half-hour sessions; there was A-lunch, B-lunch, and C-lunch. On odd days, both he and Reggie had a B-lunch, just like on even-days, which was fortunate for them. As for Otto and Twister, they both had an A-lunch on even-days, right after Spanish. 

He finally made it to the cafeteria, but what he saw surprised him. He saw Reggie standing in front of the cafeteria doors, as if waiting around for someone. He was about to greet her when he saw a shifty looking guy walk up to her with a devious grin. Sam just stood there and blinked at what he was seeing. 

'Why would she be talking to him?' the boy asked in thought. He then saw her nod to the shifty boy and leave, heading towards the front doors of the school. 'Why would she leave with Lars?' 

The boy was going to rush up to her and the older boy, but decided to leave her alone. Reggie knew what she was doing, and she of all people would know how to handle someone like Lars - she had for practically her entire life - but he still couldn't help but wonder what the deal was. 

Right at that moment, his stomach growled loudly. He held it. "I guess I should go eat first," he said out loud, quite embarrassed. He rushed inside the cafeteria to find a seat in his usual spot, with Trish, Trent, and Sherry. All of them were already seated and eating. He gulped hard as he saw Sherry seated, laughing along with Trish about something. 

'C'mon Sam, you can do this! She _is_ a friend, like Reggie said! I should just be myself.' 

"Hey Sam," Sherry greeted as he sat right next to Trent, across from her and Trish. 

"Hi!" his voice squeaked. After realizing how lame his "hi" sounded, he pretended to cough and pat his chest. "Must have a frog in my throat. Ahem." 

Trent gulped down some of his fruit juice. "Hey, aren't you going to get in line, mate?" 

"Oh yeah, that's right! I just wanted to set my books down first. I-I was planning on going to the library before heading back to class after lunch." 

"Dude, you're _always_ in the library," Trish noted earnestly. 

"Well, I _ do_ love to read, ehehehe." 

"Are you feeling okay, Sam?" Sherry asked in concern. 

"Me, of course I am. I'm definitely fine." He nodded vigorously. "Yep, nothing wrong here." 

"Um, yeah. So, have you seen Reggie?" Trent asked hopefully. 

"Oh yeah, I saw her before I came in here, but let me get a bite to eat first. I'm starved!" 

Before any of them could get a word out, Sam took off for the lunch line before it got any longer than what it was. 

'I sounded like a major _dork_! Why do I always get this way when around Sherry!' 

The Squid picked up his tray and bought his food. Today was pizza day, and just like Twister, he loved it. He bought three slices of pizza, an order of fries, a cola, and a Freezie Freeze. After he paid the lunch lady, he exited the lunch line and headed back towards his seat, promising to act more composed. 

He got no farther than about 20 feet from the line, when he felt something get in his way, causing him to trip and fall flat on his face, his tray clattering a few inches away from him and all of the food spilled on the floor. His glasses had been knocked off as well. 

"Oh!!" he gave off an annoyed, embarrassed groan as he felt around for his glasses. While searching, he heard someone cruelly laughing at him - as well as other students. He overheard Sherry gasp out, "Are you okay!" from her seat. 

'Oh no!' he inwardly growled, recognizing the cruel laugh. He found his glasses and put them on, looking up at the guy who had obviously, and purposely, tripped him. 

"The Squid can't even walk straight!" The light brown-haired boy laughed harder as he pointed a finger down at him. He was also quite tall, much taller than Sam. "What a lame-o!!" 

Sam stood up, quite angered. He made him lose his lunch. "Josh! What'd you do that for!!" 

The boy gave him a dastardly look, and replied, "_You_ should've been watching where you were going." 

Sam disliked Josh with a passion. He had been a pain in his backside since the day he had first met him almost six years earlier. He treated him like crud, and tried to make it so that he felt Otto, Reggie, and Twister didn't need him, so that he could take Sam's place. It didn't work, of course, since all three of them told Josh to bug off. 

Ever since then, Josh had been a bully to Sam, and no matter what, he could never seem to stay out of his way. He would normally just put "Kick Me" signs, or something along the lines of it, on his back, or either tries his best to publicly humiliate him, like he had just now. He also would constantly try to pick fights with Sam outside of school, but Sam would always avoid them. 

In reality, the reason for Josh's teasing and ridiculing was because he was terribly jealous of Sam. He got to hang out with the cool kids, even though Sam was a bit of a nerd himself. Otto and Reggie were two of the most popular kids in school - naturally, since they were Rockets - and Trent was ex_treme_ly popular, just as Trish and Sherry were. Twister, on the other hand, wasn't as popular as Reggie, Otto, or Trent, but everyone knew him and he was never really bullied either since everyone knew that he could hold his own. He was Lars's brother, after all, so people figured that it just ran in the family. Twister was probably on the same level as Trish or Sherry.

Sam kneeled back down on the floor and sighed, trying his best to clean up the mess and to ignore the boy. Josh just laughed again as he kicked the boy right in the tush. The kick caused him to drop the tray again, everything he had picked up to scatter. "You're quite clumsy, Squid!" Josh tsked while shaking his head. "Look at the mess you made!" 

Sam growled, ready to knock Josh senseless. At this point, many of the other students were gathered around Sam and Josh. Sam stood up, looking Josh straight in the eyes, the only thing present being hatred and anger towards the taller boy. 

"Ooo, the Squid wants to fight now!" Josh mocked. "C'mon, Squid. You know you don't have it in you to fight!" 

Sam wanted to badly, but he didn't know how to fight. He had never been in a fight before, and fighting meant getting suspended, and he liked his suspension-free school record. Ivy League schools didn't accept students with suspensions and detentions, Sam always felt. 

The students around him were chanting things like, "Kick that Dullard nerd's ass," or either, "Get him Sam!" 

Sam didn't know what to do. Fighting never solved anything, and he believed this. He _really_ wished Twister were around now. He knew he would've kept Josh from bugging him, like he had other times. Otto had as well. 

"You chicken, Dullard?" Josh shoved him. 

"Just-just leave me alone Josh! I-I don't want to fight you!" Sam knew he was a bleeder. 

"Aww, the wittle lameass is scared!!" He shoved him again. 

"Look, stop it!! I-I mean it!!" 

"Oh no, what are _you_ going to do?" He used both of his hands and pushed Sam to the floor. He stood up quickly, the students still rooting the two on, to get them to fight. 

"I'm not going to fight you!! I refuse to put myself down to your brainless, idiotic level!" 

"Oooo!! You go, Sam!!" some of the other students cheered. 

"That's the way to do it, Samuel!" a certain tanned-hair boy with glasses rooted. It was his friendly rival, Oliver Van Rossom. "Fighting never solves anything!" 

Josh's face went red in anger. "Brainless, am I, lameass?!" 

The next thing Sam knew, his eyes had grown wide, and he was kneeled to the ground while holding his stomach, coughing hard. 

Some people gasped, others cheered - they just wanted to see a fight and didn't know either one of 'em - and some glared evilly at Josh, especially a certain wavy-haired blonde. He had punched Sam hard in the stomach. It happened so fast, Sam couldn't even react to try and attempt blocking it off. 

Sherry couldn't take it anymore, and she, Trent, and Trish tried to push their way through the crowd. They were right in the back and had been trying to make their way to him earlier. Oliver was also now making his way through the crowd to get to him. 

Sam remained on his knees, hurled over, gasping for air while Josh laughed cruelly at him. The boy just couldn't catch his breath, so he went towards his pocket for his inhaler, his arm shaky. He could barely manage to get to it as he felt an attack coming on. He lied down on the cold, marble cafeteria floor, holding his neck, gasping and gagging harder. 

"Serves you right, _Squid_," Josh snarled at him. 

Right now, a silence fell upon the students, whom of which were staring in slight terror, not sure of what to do for Sam, and Sherry and the others were still trying to make their way through the crowd. Josh just spit at Sam. 

Sherry and the rest of them finally made it to the front, just as Oliver had. All of them went to Sam's aid. They were all kneeled down on the floor next to him. 

"Sam, are you okay!!" Sherry and Trish asked. 

"Hang in there, Sam!" Trent told him. 

"That no good excuse of a homosapien! He is such a waste of matter! How dare he hits an unarmed man! He refused to be involved in such a rough shenanigan, and look at where it got poor Samuel!" Oliver said, quite upset. "There is definitely no justice in the world I say! NO JUSTICE!!" 

"Um...yeah," Trent blinked, finding Oliver's dramatic performance a bit unnecessary. 

"He's trying to say something!" Trish informed them. 

"In...haler..." the boy wheezed. "I...need...my...in...haler..." 

"Where is it! Where is it!" Sherry asked in alarm. "Sam! C'mon Sam!!" 

"From what I observed earlier, it seems to me that he was going towards his right pocket before his collapse. It must be there!" Oliver concluded. 

Trent went through Sam's pocket, and sure enough, it was there. Sam grabbed the inhaler and greedily took in the air. 

Sherry stood up and stared at the boy hard, her fists clenched. "You could've _majorly_ killed him you _dork!" _

The boy shrugged nonchalantly. "So?" 

Sherry was about to punch him her self, when she heard someone shout, "Hey, Josh!" 

Everyone turned around to see a certain boy in a gym uniform wearing sunglasses and a headband. Sam was very surprised at the person that had called out to Josh. 'Why would _he_ help me?' he asked himself in thought, unable to speak clearly at the moment since he still hadn't caught his breath. 

"What do _you_ want!" Josh sneered at the boy who was walking towards him. 

"If you have a problem with him, then you have a problem with me, lame-o!" 

"Bug off, _Rocket_!" 

"I don't _have_ to do anything, you lame-oid bastard!" He stepped up to Josh, who was slightly taller than him. "Why don't you get a life!" 

"I already have one, thank you; a _normal_ one, as a matter of fact!" 

Sam started to wheeze again as he gasped for air. 

"You'll be okay, Sam, just hang on and keep inhaling on that thing," Trent told him. 

"Oliver, take Sam to the nurse!" Otto ordered after hearing Sam's wheezing. He seemed somewhat worried. 

The boy nodded as he and Trish helped Sam up, exiting the cafeteria, but Sam wouldn't allow them to take him out. He wanted to stay and watch Otto; he was very curious as to why Otto would stand up for him if the two of them weren't even on speaking terms. His breathing was getting a bit less labored now anyway since Trent had given him his inhaler. He just continued to huff on the small white object and to calm himself so that he could go back to breathing regularly. 

"What exactly is a normal family?" 

"You know, one with a mother _and_ a father." He gave him a pompous smirk. "From what I know, you don't even _have a mother. She probably couldn't stand to look at you another day, and purposely allowed herself to die." _

Everyone gasped. "I can't believe he said that!" Sam managed to cough out. 

For those few harsh words, Otto felt like he could literally kill the boy that stood before him. Otto's weak spot was definitely his mother. He _dared_ to mock his mother's death?! How _dare_ he! Otto also felt like crying. Josh had no idea what it was like to lose a parent or someone close to you. 

"Take that back about my mother!!" Otto fumed, trying his best to keep back tears. 'Show anger, not sadness,' he kept telling himself. "And apologize to Sam!!" 

Josh scoffed at him. "Why should I?" he taunted while laughing. 

Otto's teeth were grit, his fists were clenched, and his breathing was intense. He raised his right fist and punched Josh right in the face, hard. Josh didn't know what hit him. He was so busy laughing that he didn't even sense Otto's punch coming. 

The kids began to root as Otto jumped Josh and started to beat on him. Otto didn't care if he got in trouble; no one had the right to talk about his mother in such a way, and he had hurt Sam to the point of almost killing him. The only thing Otto felt was rage. Josh, of course, fought back. He pushed Otto off of him and stood up, sneering at him. He then charged after Otto, who was also now standing, and the two got back into it. 

At this point, one of the cafeteria ladies ran out from the back to see what the commotion was. When she saw the two boys fighting, she called to one of the other lunch ladies to call the Principal down. 

The lunch ladies didn't know what to do with Otto and Josh fighting, and were a bit too scared to interfere themselves in fear of getting hit by mistake since the fight was quite intense. Everyone was rooting for Otto as he applied hit after hit to the boy. 

Less than a minute later, Principal Healy entered the cafeteria. Sam, Trish, and Oliver were standing by the door of the cafeteria when he came in. Sam looked a bit pale and sweaty, but he didn't care about that at the moment. He continued to where the students were gathered. 

"Okay, okay!!" he shouted as he pushed his way through the crowd. "Break it up here!" 

Otto and Josh continued to fight, even though the temperamental principal had ordered them to stop. "You, Trent," Healy ordered, "hold back Rocket and I'll hold back this other hoodlum!" 

Trent nodded and did just this. He grabbed Otto, who was still trying to break loose to get to Josh, while Principal Healy held Josh. 

"What is the meaning of this!!!" he demanded, quite heated. 

Everyone started talking at once. "Forget it!! You and Rocket, to my office now!!" 

Trent let go of Otto, who stomped towards the cafeteria doors, Josh and the principal right behind him. Before they left, Otto stopped and stared at Sam. Otto had a look in his eyes as if apologizing to him and it also showed fear. As tough as Otto wanted everyone to think he was, the idea of Sam almost dying got to him. He didn't want to lose any other person he considered to be close, be it a relative or a friend. 

"Dullard, what is the matter with you? Why are you standing here by the door?" 

"Sir, Josh hit him!" Sherry chimed in, marching up from behind, Trent by her side, and other students trailing them. The girl wanted justice to be done. "He punched him hard in the stomach, almost killing him! Sam has asthma! He was shaking and everything since he couldn't catch his breath!" 

"Hold on, hold on! You all," he pointed to Trent, Sherry, Oliver, Sam, and Trish, "come with me, my office, now!" 

Everyone obeyed and went with Principal Healy to his dismally dull office. While there, Trish, Sherry, Trent, and Oliver explained what had happened, which was pretty accurate, given Sam's condition - he may have regained his normal breathing and such, but he was still a bit shaken up due to the small attack he had - and the fact that Otto had been there to fight in general. He had known Otto for a long time, and knew that he would fight for his friends, especially for someone like Sam who stuck to the rules and would never fight himself. 

After all of the conversing, no matter how much Healy wanted to suspend Otto, he decided against it due to the circumstances (he wouldn't have heard the end of it from parents and such if he had). Josh had obviously been bothering Sam, hit him, and caused Otto to react and stick up for his friend. That, and the fact that they had witnesses - according to Trish and the others - who could vouch for Sam and Otto, saying that Josh started the whole fight and how Sam was trying to avoid it. 

Healy sent Otto back to class with a bruised cheek - which he had a received from Josh - and a pass - he was getting a detention for not being where he was supposed to be, and a call home to inform Ray of the fight - and Sam to the nurse's office to make sure that everything was okay with him. As for Josh, he was facing expulsion time. 

The two were walking back in silence, Sam lost in thought. He was trying to figure out why Otto had done what he did. Why would he fight for him? Was it his way of apologizing for the way he had treated him lately? Was it a gut reaction? Sam had to know, so he turned to his friend. 

"Um, Otto," he began slowly, "thanks for helping me out back there." 

Otto didn't say a word and continued to look straight ahead. 

"It was really cool of you to-to do that, you know." 

"Yeah," he muttered quietly. 

The two came to the nurse's office. Otto had to head back to the gym. The reason Otto was out of class was because he wanted something to drink, although he told his gym teacher he was going to the restroom. He had just gotten a soda from the vending machine, when he noticed all of the commotion. He watched for a while before interfering. He didn't expect Josh to actually hit Sam, but when he did, Otto couldn't take it, and rushed in to try and help him. It was like a reflex, no one messes with his buddies, even if he _was_ currently cross with them. 

"Otto, why'd you do it?" Sam asked the boy as Otto tried his best to walk away. He seemed to want to avoid discussing what had just happened. 

Otto shrugged his shoulders and just said, "Because." 

"You do know that 'because' is a sentence fragment and doesn't really indicate anything, right?" The Squid thought for a moment. 'Wait, _is_ that a sentence fragment?' 

"_Squid_!! It doesn't matter why, I just did, okay!" He stared up at the ceiling, trying his best not to be too emotional. "Now go to the nurse, you're still a bit weak from that punch you got." Sam couldn't believe his ears. Was Otto actually worried about his "so-called" friend? The one he had refused to speak with without snapping in some way for the past couple of weeks. 

"I'm fine now. Since I got my inhaler, I've been breathing alright." 

"NO, Sam!! Go!! Make sure you're okay!!" Otto looked back at Sam. He seemed to be at a loss for words. He lowered his head and mumbled, "*I mean, you almost died once because of your asthma when we were kids, I don't want it to happen again!" 

Sam gave Otto a smile. "I'm a lot tougher than I look, but I _am_ fine. This attack was minor since I got to my inhaler in time, thanks to Trent and the others, but I should probably go anyway." 

"Yeah..." 

"So, see you later at the pep rally?" 

"Yeah, the pep rally..." 

With that, Otto walked off. 'My theory was right,' the boy realized. 'It must be stress. That's the most decent thing Otto's done for me in a while. By tomorrow afternoon, I bet O-man will be back to his usual self.' 

Sam nodded as he entered the nurse's office, and the nurse made a fuss over him. When asked how he was feeling, Sam told her that he was fine, and that he had regained his normal breathing pattern. 

"I just had the wind knocked out of me, that's all." 

The nurse kept Sam there the rest of the class period and had him rest up. He even got a free meal from the cafeteria given his circumstances. He was given the choice of going home early, but he insisted not to. The last thing he wanted was to have his mother running in, hugging and squeezing him, asking if he was okay. After the nurse, he headed to his last class of the day, which was a Study Hall. Trent and Sherry shared this class with him. He was usually nervous when in study hall since Reg wasn't around, but normally, after lunch, he was a bit more calm and collected, so it didn't really matter.

When he came in, everyone was murmuring and asking things as he walked by like, "Are you okay, Sam?" or, "What happened with Josh and Otto?" He would just nod to them, his face being a bit red since he wasn't used of so much attention. 

Sam sat down in his usual seat, next to Sherry. On the other side of him was Trent. 

"Sam, are you all right?" Trent asked him. 

"I'm fine. You have to be tough to be a goalie, I always say. I guess I'm tougher than I look." 

"You must be, to take a punch like that, with asthma and live to tell about it!" Trent whistled. "You're absolutely amazing, mate! I just knew you would've been sent home!" 

Sam laughed timidly. 

"Are you _sure_ you're okay, Sam?" Sherry sounded skeptical. "Josh punched you hard!" 

"I'm fine, Sher, I'm fine." He explained what happened after he left with Otto. 

"That was pretty cool how Otto stood up for you," Trent smiled. "That's what friends are for!" 

"Yeah." Sherry frowned slightly, deep in thought. 'That doesn't sound like the same Otto that Reggie's been complaining about for the past few weeks. What he did was really heroic and cool! And it was selfless.' 

"Hey, Reggie never showed up for lunch today," Trent started, "where did you say she was?" 

"Oh, that. I was about to say, but got a bit distracted. I saw her leave with Lars." 

"Lars!?!" both nearly screamed. 

"Why would she, like, be hanging out with him?!" Sherry asked. "I know the two are okay with each other when it comes to helping each other out with sports, but, not like in school, or whatever---" 

"Are you certain that he and Reggie left together?" Trent asked. He seemed a bit anxious and fretful for this information. 

Sam nodded. "Yeah, it was Lars. I don't know what they were up to, but it didn't look like he was bothering Reg. She looked willing to go along with him to wherever." 

"Damn, first Twister's being all over her at the amusement park last night, and now the other Rodriguez brother…" the New Zealander muttered. 

"Excuse me?" Sam had to make sure what he had just heard was right. "Did you just say Twister was all over Reggie at the amusement park?" 

"Like, yeah. Trish saw them too, but it was probably, like, nothing serious," Sherry assured him. 

"Please, explain." 

"Well, Reggie was supposed to meet up with Trish and me, and Trent just happened to meet us there" - Sherry decided not to mention Trent's crush on Reggie - "and when we couldn't get on the Tidal Wave, we were going to get on another ride, the Cave of Terror. On the ride were Reggie and Twister, and Twister was like all over her! He was, like, hugging her and stuff!" 

"Do you know anything?" Trent asked slowly, his left eyebrow cocked. 

"I don't know anything, but I'm sure the two aren't dating or anything, if that's what you're thinking," Sam assured the handsome boy who now had a look of disappointment on his face. 

"Yeah, yeah. Right," he responded distantly. 'Reggie, what is going on with you?' 

He hated the fact that he had lied. Sam knew very well that Twister had a crush on Reggie and that he had had it for a _long_ time. Now Reggie was a different story. He didn't know of her interests in guys, other than Trent - he always assumed that she did - but she wasn't even all that obvious about that anymore. He thought back to how the two were acting earlier that morning. 

'Could they be dating in secret? That would explain their peculiar behavior this morning, but why would they bother dating in private? We wouldn't have cared.' 

"Sam?" 

"Um, yeah Sherry?" 

"Mrs. Burbank just called your name for the role." 

"Um, here!!" 

The kids giggled at Sam. 

'Of course I would embarrass myself in front of Sherry again, but never mind that. I wonder what's _really going on between Reg and Twister, and why _did_ she leave with Lars earlier today...' _

Those questions remained on the boy's mind, until it was time for the pep rally. Too bad he couldn't come up with any answers to them...  
*****  
A/N: Man, that was a pretty long chapter, eh? I apologize, once again, for that. I just kept writing until I felt the chapter was done. I personally didn't like the writing style for this particular chapter; some parts seemed a bit redundant. 

Oh, and the part with the Lunch ladies was a tad bit unrealistic. I'm sure that a teacher or someone, would've checked out the commotion a lot sooner, but we are just going to overlook that now, aren't we? ^^ 

As for the "almost died" thing Otto mentioned, well the ep _Big Air_ has to do with Sam having a really bad asthma attack and having to go to the hospital for it. No, American RP fans, the ep has not been aired here, but it's been shown in other countries. I will never understand the ways of Nickelodeon for here. -_- I recommend the fic, A Close Call_, _by mike2000, which actually deals with Sam's condition. He and the author, salsipuedes, were inspired by that ep and came up with that fic. It's very good and I hope you all decide to read it. It gave me the ideas to come up with the asthma stuff for this particular chapter!! *Hugs both Mike and Scott* Arigatou gozaimasu!!

Now, for the next chapter, expect to see Reggie and Lars discussing some things, like Twister's bummed out mood.


	17. Chapter 16: Reggie's Lunch Date!

Man, I am _ so_ sorry for taking forever to update this fic. I've been a bit busy and never got around to proofing it. I originally wanted to put this up Saturday/Sunday like I do normally. ^^ Just so you know, I started back to school this past Monday, which means I'll probably be focusing on that more so, well, just my Calculus anyway, but I'll try not to let my lack of math skills interfere with this fic, and vice-versa for the fic interfering with the math. ^^

Oh, just to let you know, I did get to read that very short, I'm too old to be reading, book, Reggie's Secret Admirer that came out a while ago. Very cute, well, Reggie's reaction to it. At least now I know exactly how she'd react if she had a secret admirer. She was flattered, especially with the gifts she got from him and was even more excited when she found out who the secret admirer was and he asked her out right before the races. I guess no matter how tomboyish a girl can be, she'll always love the attention of a boy. I would tell you who it is, but then that would be spoiling. :-P

Now, for this chapter, Reggie and Lars are finally having lunch together, discussing past events, I guess you could say. They're both talking about Otto and Twister and Reggie sees a side of Lars that she's never witnessed before. Next chapter is undecided. I think I'll stick with the Pep Rally. No guarantee that'll be uploaded by next week, though. I'm still writing on it. ^^

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with Rocket Power. Klasky-Csupo has that honor.

* * *

Chapter 16: Reggie's Lunch Date! 

Lars drove down the streets of Ocean Shores in his used, bright candy-red 1998 *Volkswagen Beetle Convertible, pretty much speeding, the top down and his long brown hair blowing in the wind. He was planning on trading it in later for a newer model. He kept it in tip-top shape and it was always clean. He was always clean, compared to Twister in general. The car rarely broke down either. 

"Lars, stop that speeding!!" Reggie commanded the older boy authoritatively. "What if you get busted by Officer Shirley?!" 

"Stop worrying; I'll be fine, _mother_." Reggie "hmmphed" at him and folded her arms across her chest as he came to a stoplight, which was red. "Ugh, I hate stoplights," he groaned. 

"I'm grateful for them! It'll keep people like you from speeding!" 

He ignored her and drove on after the light changed. "So, do you want to go to the Pier or the Boardwalk for lunch?" 

Reggie looked down at her watch. "It doesn't really matter to me." 

"Good, because I want to go to the Shore Shack. I haven't had any of those fries in a while." 

"Why the Shore Shack?" Reggie asked without realizing it. 'What would dad and Tito think if I walked in there with _Lars_ of all people by my side?' 

"Because, I'm in the mood for some shack food, that's why." 

"Okay, okay, fine. Let's go," she finally said. 'I hope there's a big crowd today to draw the attention away from us.' 

The two continued the ride in silence. Reggie felt a bit awkward going to the Shore Shack with Lars, and Lars was concentrating on the road, mostly, but was also curious as to why his companion was so quiet. 

"Yo, Reg, want to listen to the radio?" 

"Sure, sure," Reggie answered hastily. 

Lars reached down and flipped on the radio, which was already set to his favorite station, the current song playing, blasting through the speakers. Reggie winced some, Lars noticed and turned the volume down slightly. The station played the latest hits by the most popular rock bands. Lars was definitely into rock and heavy metal, which must've run in the family, Reggie assumed. Twister was into rock music as well. As a matter of fact, the majority of the Korn cds in the car _were_ Twister's. 

'Now, did he borrow those from Twister with force, or did he borrow them without asking?'   
****  
RP: I bet Lars just took 'em. I noticed him doing that in _Cinco de Twist_ when Twister was telling him about his voice being messed up. Lars was stuffing cds into his pocket.  
****  
They rode for a bit more, enjoying the music, finally reaching the parking lot near Rocket Beach, which meant having to walk a short ways to the Shore Shack. 

When arriving, the shack was somewhat crowded, like it had been when she and Twister came by the previous night, only there were a couple of tables free.   
~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
"Bruddah Ray, look who it is!" 

"Whoa, it's Reggie and..._Lars_?!" 

"Is there something going on in her life that you don't know about?" Tito asked in perplexity. Her hanging out there with Twister was a bit out of the ordinary, but her there with Lars was just downright unusual. 

"I don't know, Tito. My little girl normally tells me everything. I don't know why she would be here with Lars of all people." 

"_Very_ strange, bruddah." 

"You said it."   
~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
"Hey, look, one last table left," Lars said. 

He pulled Reggie along to get to the table. Reggie sighed a bit in slight embarrassment. 

"Ahh right!!" he cheered after sitting down. 

"Must you be so loud," Reggie groaned, resting her forehead in the palms of her hands. She could feel the other customers' eyes on them. 

"Why, got a problem with it Rocket Dork's sister?" 

She gave off an exasperated groan. "No, not really." 

"Good, now let's get some grub!! This handsome guy is _very_ hungry!" 

Lars stood up. "You stay here and make sure no one gets this table." 

"Um, yeah, sure." 

"Yo, you want anything?" 

"Just a salad, thanks, with Italian dressing, and a water." 

"A _sa_lad!" 

"Why does everyone always react that way when I say I want a salad?!" 

"Because your father owns a fast food place, that's why!! Why eat a salad when you can pig out on burgers and fries!" 

"I am _trying_ to eat healthier, thank you!!" 

"But chica, just eating salads isn't good for you." 

"What do _you_ know, Lars?!" she asked slightly humored. 

"Well, I know enough to tell you that you should eat a balanced meal." He sounded quite serious. "You know, you need protein and grains too. Salads are good, and healthy, but you need to get a protein in there someplace." 

"A protein?" 

"Yeah, some kind of a meat, if you're eating like this on a regular basis, just garden salads and nothing else." 

"Oh, no, I do eat other things, it's just that today I don't feel like eating a burger or anything." 

"Oh...well, I'll be right back." With that, Lars walked off towards the counter. 

Reggie just stared after him, a bit puzzled. '_Lars_ has a brain?!' She couldn't believe what she had just witnessed. He actually seemed concerned about her health... 

"Hey Mr. Rocket," Lars greeted after reaching the counter. 

"Why, uh, hello Lars. How's it going?" 

"Okay, I guess." 

"So, how did you and Reggie just happen to hang out here?" Ray asked slowly. 

"We're just talking about some things." 

"What kinds of things?" 

"Mostly---about the classes she'll be taking next year, what to expect from the teachers, which teacher she should try her best to avoid, the usual." 

'_That's_ usual? Since when does Reggie talk so much with Lars?' Ray wondered in thought. "Anything else?" 

"No, not really," Lars bluntly answered. 

Lars figured that he shouldn't mention anything about Otto. Reggie obviously hadn't mentioned her problems with Otto since Ray was still asking questions. Well, he assumed that she hadn't. 

"We're just talking about the upcoming game too, and how my team is going to cream hers!" 

"Okay now," Tito interrupted with a cheery smile before Ray could ask anything else - he felt that the interrogation had gone on long enough - "what would you like for lunch, bruddah?" 

"The Most Kilohana Burger Combo - king size - only I want a vanilla shake instead of a soda." 

"Coming right up, Lars cuz, and what would Reggie like?" 

"Oh, she said she wanted a salad with Italian dressing and a water," the boy answered as if he had just said something offensive. What sane person would turn down a burger and fries? 

"Alright," Tito smiled. "Anything else?" 

"No thanks." 

"Okay, I'll get your order started right away," the fry cook replied. 

Lars went through his pocket and pulled out his wallet. "How much for the meal and salad?" 

"Oh, don't worry about that Lars," Ray said uneasily, still surprised over the fact that Lars was there, offering to pay for his meal as well as Reggie's. "It's on the house." 

"No way, Mr. Rocket, I insist on it. It wouldn't be right if I ate here free. I don't normally eat here free. Okay, so I have sometimes, but I'd rather pay today." 

Ray looked at the boy curiously. Lars didn't know what to make of it. He was about to ask what the deal was, when Ray smiled at him approvingly. "I like the way you think, Lars!" 

"Huh?" 

"If you want to pay you can, but there's no need. Your family and my family are friends." 

"Yeah right...friends," he responded slowly. He didn't consider Otto a friend. Well, Reggie, maybe, but Otto definitely not. "I insist on paying for my meal, Mr. Rocket. I'll pay for Reggie's too if you don't mind." 

"Um, why?" Ray sounded puzzled and confused. 

"No reason," he bluntly stated. 

Ray scratched his head. He figured that there was no way he could talk Lars out of paying the bill. "Okay then," he finally said. Ray tallied up the bill. "Your total will be $6.85." 

The boy opened his wallet and took out $10.00. 

"Okay, out of ten," he put the money in the register, "and here is your change, $3.15." 

Lars mumbled out a "thanks," and stuffed the money back into his wallet. "Oh, and Mr. Rocket, don't mention my paying for the dork's food." He had to remain in character; Ray knew of how Lars constantly called Otto and the others dorks. 

Ray said, "Okay," not quite sure as to why it would've been such a big deal, and went and got Reggie's salad and bottled water and to make Lars his king size milkshake. "Here you go." 

Lars accepted the food and his shake and headed back to the table Reggie was seated at. 

"Here." He tossed the container and the water to her, sitting down across from her. 

"Um, thanks," she said wryly. 

"Yeah." 

He started to down his shake as Reggie started to eat on her salad. She remained quiet for a good while, pushing one of the cherry tomatoes around with her fork. Lars was growing rather tired of the silence. He didn't bring her out there just to listen to her chew. 

He set his cup down. "Yo, chica, speak up!" 

"Oh, what?" 

"You've been spaced out since we've been here! What is the deal!? Didn't you want to talk to me about something?" 

Reggie sighed and looked down at the table and mumbled, "I thought you were the one that wanted to talk." 

"Well, no, not really," the boy replied quickly. "You mentioned something about your dork brother this morning, and how he's the reason for Twister's whack attitude!" Lars cracked his knuckles. "Let me whomp him for you!!" 

Reggie cracked a small smile. One thing she noticed about Lars is how he was always willing to help her out, like whenever she would ask him to play street hockey in place of one of the others if they couldn't participate. If one of the others had asked, he'd tell them to bug off, but whenever she would ask, he was always happy to help out. No questions asked. 

"That won't be necessary, Lars." 

Before he could respond, Tito walked out to the front counter, calling for Lars. His order was ready. 

"Hold that thought, Rocket Dork's sister." 

The boy hurried to the counter to get his food, thanking Tito quickly, and then took his seat again. He took a giant bite out of his burger greedily. "Man, I love these burgers!" Lars managed to say, his mouth full. 

Reggie wrinkled her nose at the boy. His manners were just as bad as Twister's. Lars gave off a small belch as he drank some more of his shake. 

"So, what's the deal with your brother?" He put some ketchup on his fries. 

Reggie told him everything; she felt that she could trust him enough to share. She did leave out the details of the previous night, dealing with Twister's hugging on her in his sleep. She wasn't ready to get into that quite yet - she wasn't sure she wanted to - but she did mention how Otto had treated Twister when he saw him in their house. 

"Man, harsh!" He swallowed down another fry while Reggie continued to play with her salad. "And he's been like this for the past couple of weeks?" 

She nodded. "Lars, it's awful. We have that game next week, and if he doesn't get his act together, our team'll have to forfeit and there's a chance we may get eliminated for the remainder of the season, blowing our chance at the playoffs." 

"Oh no, chica!" Lars retorted, holding up his hand. "There's no _way_ you guys are going to forfeit! My team has been working their asses off for this upcoming game, and I refuse to win it just because of your lame-o brother being an idiot. C'mon, Reg, let me knock some sense into him!" 

"Too late for that," Reggie muttered, taking a bite of her salad. "I'm upset over the way he's acting, but I'm most upset for the way he's treating Twister. They're supposed to be best bros, and Otto's treating him like crud." 

"I'm telling you," he took another bite of his burger and swallowed it down, "let me give him a good whomping for dogging Twist!" 

"Is violence always your solution for everything?" 

"Only when it comes to your brother," he replied indignantly. "I don't know how you put up with him. He's such a pain in the ass." 

"Hey, watch it Lars!!" Reggie ordered, taking offense to what the older boy had just said. "Don't diss my brother like that!" 

"Hey, I'm only telling it like it is, chica, and you know it," Lars spat slightly. "Admit it, he _can_ be a bit of an annoying kook at times!" 

"Well, yeah, but you didn't have to say it that way." 

"Yo, sorry," he apologized hastily. He really didn't want to make a scene, not at the Shore Shack of all places; who knows what Ray would've done to him. He also didn't want to get on Reggie's bad side. Why he cared so much about something like that was beyond him. He never understood why he had such a soft spot for Reggie in general. 

"Never mind," Reggie muttered. "I don't know what's wrong with him, Lars, and I wish he'd quit it. Sam came up with a couple of theories, one being stress." 

"Stress? What from?" 

"The competition tomorrow." 

"Oh yeah, that's an All-State competition." Lars gave a smug smile. "I bet I could beat every one in that competition." 

"Then why aren't you in the finals tomorrow?" Reggie reprimanded, giving the boy a look of amusement. 

"Well, uh, because I, er---hey, why aren't you!!" 

"You know I'm not in the Surf Club. My Journalism and Volleyball would interfere with the meets. I have _way_ too much responsibility with Journalism to even consider it. Take today for instance; I had to write out the scripts for our school's weekly news broadcast, just like every Friday. I then have to turn it in before going to lunch." 

"Well, I just didn't want to be in the finals, that's all." 

"You ranked out and lost to Trent, Otto, and Trish." 

"Okay, so I did! Who cares if I did!" 

"I don't, really, but you are a good surfer, Lars; they're just better, and you were in fourth right after Trish. You four are like the top four surfers in Ocean Shores of our Surf Club!" 

"I really hope your brother doesn't win that competition," Lars mumbled jealously. 

"Why not?" She took a sip of her water. 

"I'm all for Trish winning, actually. Mr. New Zealand is nothing but a show off, and Rocket Dork deserves to lose sometimes. He's what I call a 'sore winner'." 

"I've never heard of that term before." 

"Your brother wins practically everything, he needs to wake up and realize that he isn't going to win them all. Every time he wins anything, he gets a swelled head." 

"How do you know? You don't hang around with him." 

"Twister. He sometimes mentions Otto whenever he's annoyed with him." 

"Really?" 

"You better believe it, chica. Twister gets annoyed of your brother's attitude more than he says or shows. He hates it when your brother gloats." 

"I think we all do, but it's like talking to a brick wall when trying to get Otto to understand that it's annoying." 

"I'm not saying that Twist hates your bro or anything." Lars sounded a bit awkward. He was saying decent things about his brother and it was freaking him out a little. How could he keep his rep if he acted like he cared? "I was just saying that he gets on his nerves at times." 

"I still wish I knew what he currently had against Twister. I can tell how upset Twist was when he left last night and I just wish I could help him." Reggie sighed and stared down at her half-eaten salad. 

"Maybe Twister got some dirt on him!!" Lars said hopefully. 

Reggie glared at Lars. "Not funny!" 

"Who says I was trying to be funny?" he asked plainly, trying to suppress a smile. The thought actually sounded good to him. "Um, has Twister beat him in any sport lately?" 

"No." 

"Have they argued in general lately?" 

"Not that I know of. We always hang out together, I'm sure that Sam or I would've noticed something like that." 

"Hey, have you asked anyone else about them? Like that Netherworld dork?" 

"No, I haven't asked Eddie or anyone else, but if Otto and Twister had gotten into a really bad fight, the news would've traveled pretty fast." 

"Yeah, guess you're right." 

He went back to his meal. Reggie thought for a moment, and then sighed again. She gave up on trying to figure Otto out. It wasn't like Lars could actually help her, even though it sounded like he was really trying to. 

"Let's just talk about Twister for a moment." 

"Why would you want to do something like that when we could talk about me?" 

"LARS!!" 

"Just kidding, Rocket Dork's sister. What about him?" 

"Well, this morning, after you left, I talked with him a bit." 

"Yeah, so?" 

"Actually, he said this last night, not today. Sorry." 

Lars shrugged as he scarfed down the rest of his burger. He then went back to his plate of fries. 

"I don't know what he said meant. After he said it, he seemed very embarrassed and when I asked him what it meant, he gave me an answer, but I have this feeling he made it up. Like he wasn't being completely honest with me." 

"Wait, he said something in Spanish to you?" 

She nodded as Lars went back to his shake. "Yes, he said whatever it was in Spanish. Te something. Tay ah-mo (te amo), and then he said tay key-air-o (te quiero) and something else, but those two stood out most for me. Sorry if my pronunciation is off." 

Lars nearly choked and started to cough hard, pounding his chest. 

"Lars!!" Reggie stood up and hurried to Lars's side, patting and rubbing his back. "Are you all right!!" 

"Yeah, yeah." He gave her a weak smile. 'No way!! Twist said _that!?!' _

After the small attack, Reggie just stood by Lars, who was still seated. 

"So, what does it mean? He said that it meant that he liked hanging out with me." 

"Oh man, look at that time!" Lars stood up. "We have to get back to school." 

Reggie looked down at her wristwatch. He was actually right. "Yeah, but what do those words mean?" 

"¡Vamanos, chica!" He rushed out of the Shore Shack. "I'll leave you behind if you don't hurry up!" 

Reggie chased after him. "Lars!!"   
~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
"I wonder what all the commotion is," Ray said, noticing Reggie's chasing after Lars. 

"They're probably trying to hurry back to school," Tito assured his friend. 

"Yeah, I guess," Ray said as he put the most recent customer's money into the register. 

Right at that moment, the phone rang. 

"Want me to get that, bruddah?" 

"No, that's okay Tito, you have to get that next order started anyway. I'll get it." 

Tito nodded and went back to the grill while Ray went to the phone. 

"Shore Shack, this is Ray Rocket speaking...Principal _Healey!!...OTTO DID WHAT?!?~~~"   
~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
"Lars, wait up!!" Reggie trotted finally getting alongside the boy. "What's your malfunction!" she demanded. _

"We're late," he answered plainly. "Get in." He slipped into the driver's side. Reggie, knowing she had no way back to school, got in as well. She found Lars's actions a bit rude, not to mention peculiar. 

After the two were settled, Lars pulled out of the parking lot and headed back to Ocean Shores High, the ride being somewhat awkward for the boy. His brother said that?!? 

"Lars," Reggie broke over his thoughts and the silence since Lars didn't have the radio or cd player going, "what does it mean?" 

"Oh, yeah, uh, it means exactly what he said," he said quickly. "It means that he likes hanging out with you. Nothing more, don't ask me anything else about it." 

"Oh," the girl said disappointedly. She was expecting more, but also had this feeling that Lars wasn't being completely honest. What did those words mean? Why did both Twister and Lars react in such a strange way? Twister became embarrassed and Lars was trying his best to avoid the subject altogether. Did it really mean something bad? 

'I can't believe that dork of a brother of mine _said_ that! He likes Rocket Dork's sister?!? But she couldn't possibly like him back...could she? She'd be better off with someone older with a nice set of wheels and the perfect sound system, not someone younger and immature who still rides his bike to get places!' 

"Lars!! Wake up!" he heard Reggie say. The boy put on brakes hard as he came to an intersection. 

"Oh, I'm sorry," Lars breathed out. He was so focused on his brother he nearly ran a stoplight. "I guess I wasn't paying attention like I should have been." 

"Lars, is something wrong?" 

"Chica, there's never anything wrong with me!" 

"You almost ran a stoplight since your concentration was off!!" 

"It was only once, and it won't happen again!" Lars sighed as the light turned to green. "So, about Twister and your dork brother, any ideas on getting the two on speaking terms again? I'm getting sick of Twister's moping around." 

"No, and if Sam can't figure out what his deal is, then I doubt I can." 

"But you're his sister, you know him better than Squid Dork." 

"Yeah, I guess, but his attitude is still a bit confusing." She glanced over at Lars who kept his eyes on the road. She could tell there was something else on the older boy's mind, but it was obvious that he didn't want to discuss it. "After Otto's competition tomorrow, I'm going to talk to him." 

"What're you going to say to him?" 

"To stop acting like a kook," she smirked some, "or else I get Lars to whomp you." 

Lars laughed, which Reggie was going for. His being so quiet was driving her nuts. "Lars, thanks for treating me to lunch, and talking. We didn't talk as much as I wanted to, but it was helpful," the girl said slowly. 

"Anytime, chica," Lars told her with a wink. "It's kind of weird, huh?" 

"What's weird?" 

"Our talking like this. We never did as kids." 

"That's because you were an obnoxious moron!" 

"A moron!!" 

"Well, you did tease us constantly." 

"You'd be surprised," Lars muttered. 

"Huh, what?" 

"Never mind," he said quickly. He wasn't about to tell her how all of his teasing was never towards her, but to her brother, Twister, and the Squid. "Look, Reg, don't you tell anyone that I'm actually worried about my brother." 

"Why? I find it sweet that you're worried about your brother." 

"Because, it's not me! I'm Lars, he's Maurice…um, I don't know! I just have an image to maintain!" 

"Some image," Reggie murmured, her arms folded. 

"I mean, I'm not _really_ worried about him, but if Otto doesn't shape up, I'll knock some sense into him and _make him apologize to you and to Twister! Twister is never this bummed out! He's extremely depressed, and I'm kind of," his voice trailed off and became a bit hushed, "scared." He really seemed very worried and concerned. _

"Scared? But why are you scared?" 

"You know how Twist likes to do all his cinema stuff, and how you need a lot of concentration to do so, right?" 

"Yeah, I guess." 

"His concentration is off; I've noticed it for a while now. What if he's skating, trying to get the latest, most extreme footage, and he gets hit by a car or something since he's not concentrating because of _your_ brother!" 

"I never thought of that. His surfing is off too. He's wiping out much more than usual and Twist is a great surfer." 

"Exactly! What if that dumb brother of mine go out and does something stupid and end up hurting himself because of _your_ dumb brother's attitude towards him bumming him out!?" 

"Okay, okay, I see what you mean!!" 

"Sorry if I seemed a bit harsh just now to you." Lars pulled up to the final light right before their school. 

"Oh, um, it's okay," Reggie managed to say, 'but why do I have this feeling that he really wanted to talk to _me_ about something. He did mention something about girl trouble.' 

"It's just, I'm a bit mad right now at the whole mess. Those dorks are supposed to stick together, you know? I just don't like what's going on." 

The school lot was pretty empty and Reggie was quite impressed with this new caring, compassionate side of Lars. No one would believe her if she told them. Due to the emptiness and how she really was enjoying Lars in this way, she leaned over and gave him a small hug, Lars's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. 

'Whoa, she's hugging me!! But I don't want to like her in this way because it would be way weird. I mean, I'm not minding her hugging me, but a friend is all I'll remain with her. I re_fuse_ to ask her out, no matter how tempted I am to.' 

"Twister is lucky to have such a caring, older brother," she laughed a bit, "even if you _do_ have a weird way of showing it." 

"Okay, that's enough with that mushiness crap!!" Lars said quickly, and nervously, forcing a disgusted look onto his face; if it were up to him, it probably would've been a goofy, dreamy, Twister-like look. "Lay off, chica! Wh-what if someone see us!" 

"So what if they do, can't a friend hug a friend?" She stopped hugging him, and smiled sweetly to him. 

Lars's forced harsh expression lifted. He smiled back and put out his hand. "Sí, ¡somos amigos!" [Yeah, we're friends!] 

"As of right now, I don't care who knows we're friends or not, Lars, and you shouldn't either." 

"I don't care, really, and if anyone has a problem with it," he swung his fist, "I'll take care of 'em!" 

She laughed a bit. "Nice Lars." She opened the door and stepped out of the car. "The second lunch bell will be ringing soon, so we better get to our classes. Want to walk to class together? Maybe before we get there, we'll think of something to do about Otto and Twister." 

Lars sat there, wondering if he should take the girl up on her offer. His logical side was saying, "no," but his good guy, would love to hook up with Reggie side, said, "yes." 

"Lars?" 

"Aww, what the hell, I'll walk with you." 

The two made their way back into the school, wondering why the schoolyard and walkways had been so empty. When they got in the school, and walked past the cafeteria, there was a lot of discussion going on. 

"I wonder what's going on?" 

"Who cares, I have to get to class before I'm late, Lars!" 

"You sure are boring, Rocket Dork's sister." 

"Lars!" 

"Okay, okay, let's go." 

Passing by the other students, both Reggie and Lars overheard, "fight," and "Josh got his ass whipped." 

"Whoa, did someone just say that annoying dork that used to hang around with me and my crew got beat down!! This is totally awesome!! I gotta check this out!!" 

"I thought you were going to walk me to class." 

"You're on your own, chica! Besides, I have a study hall this period." Reggie hmmphed. "I know you want to know too, Reg, so I'll call you later and fill you in, unless you find out before the day is out. I should call you anyway, so you can talk some sense into your shrimp-o brother."

"How did you kn---"

"I can see it in your eyes, chica," he winked at her. "The Larsmeister knows these things." He waved to her. "Later, much!" The boy took off to where the crowd was. 

Reggie shook her head and kept on walking. "Same old Lars," she muttered out. She decided that she'd definitely have to ask what had happened since she too was highly curious, but her Journalism class came first, and she liked her tardy-free record. 

She arrived just in the knick of time, taking her seat. While the teacher called the role, she thought back to what she had said to Lars, about how she considered him a friend now. She smiled slightly. She liked the sound of that. Lars had finally grown up...  
****  
A/N: Well, that's the end of this chapter and, once again, I apologize for taking so long to put this up. Well, the point of this chapter was to strengthen Reggie and Lars's friendship. Have a trust for one another, but not in a romantic sense, everyone, so once again to the Lars x Reggie fans out there, sorry. 

Oh, and I'm sure you all are wondering why I referenced the car Lars was driving. Well, I decided to use a Volkswagen Beetle Convertible because it just seems to fit, for obvious reasons. lol I was inspired by mike2000's fic, Rocket Baja 500. Such an awesome fic!! If you read that story, you'd understand why I chose a Volkswagen. lol Thanks for the inspiration, Mike! ^_^ Scott also gave me some ideas as well. He inspired me quite a bit for this chap. Thanks to you too, Scott!! ^_^


	18. Chapter 17: Otto the Saint!

Thanks a lot for the reviews, everyone. As always, they are highly, and truly, appreciated. I'm sorry for taking such a while. I had other things that needed to get done, and I also couldn't figure out how I wanted to write some things for this particular chapter. Oh, I should also inform you that as of the moment, I'm in the middle - okay, more so beginning :-p - of an original short story for my Creative Writing class, so since that's actually worth a grade, I'm going to be concentrating on that a bit more. 

Hmm, I might as well inform you all of this. I plan on having at least two more stories branched off from this one, like the Christmas one is. One is going to take place during the kids' summer break, which will feature the "guest character" that is going to be seen in this fic later. But mostly, it's going to deal with Twister and Reggie's hooking up and how others deal with it, mainly Otto. I know this is a bit of a cliché, but I think it'll be fun to write about, and for that fic, even Mackenzie is going to have a semi-big role in it. ^_^

For the other fic I plan on writing, it'll take place that next year, in May. I plan on it being a one-shot. Reggie's Senior Prom, and Twister as her date, of course, and if that's a spoiler to anyone (that Twist and Reg _will_ be hooking up at the end of this fic) then I'm sorry, and you shoulda read my Christmas fic. :-P 

Okay, let me stop rambling and get to the relevant info. Now, for this chapter, it continues off from where Lars left Reg to see what the commotion was all about, and a bunch of other miscellaneous stuff (aka, filler). That's pretty much it, and the chapter is going to be pretty long, so let me warn you now. All of the stuff used in this chapter was scenes that wouldn't fit into any other chapter, so I just decided to put them all here. One more thing, I don't plan on having Twister find out about what Otto did until the Pep Rally, just to let you know. 

By the way, the pep rally will be pushed up a chapter, as well as the character I mentioned earlier that Otto will talk to about all that's bugging him. 

Oh, and Mike, I am very honored that your family likes this story as well. When I saw your review, my jaw dropped! I had no idea that you showed it to them. ^^ *Thinks* I shall dedicate this story to Armando now! *Nods* I now need to get in touch with you; I have a few questions for ya dealing with Armando. lol I hope to catch you online sometime so I can talk to you about that. I know you're probably wondering why I just didn't ask you when I saw you online recently, but I wanted it to be a surprise. ^_^ 

Now, in reference to what jovhyztwist asked about, I got that book online. It didn't cost much. The book itself was very cheap; it was just the shipping & handling fee that put it up. lol It was still under $10. Anyway, I don't want to spoil it for everyone else, so I have a solution. I posted an entry (January 26) about it in my Live Journal (www . livejournal . com / users / ssjup81/ ) Just close up those spaces when you copy and paste the address. Feel free to post your thoughts on it as well. It's open for the public. Also, if you're curious about me, take a look at other entries if you'd like, get an idea as to what I'm like. ^_^

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with Rocket Power. Klasky-Csupo has that honor.

* * *

Chapter 17: Otto the Saint?! 

The two made their way back into the school, wondering why the schoolyard and walkways had been so empty. When they got in the school, and walked past the cafeteria, there was a lot of discussion going on. 

"I wonder what's going on."

"Who cares, I have to get to class before I'm late, Lars!"

"You sure are boring, Rocket Dork's sister."

"Lars!"

"Okay, okay, let's go."

Passing by the other students, both Reggie and Lars overheard, "fight," and "Josh got his ass whipped." 

"Whoa, did someone just say that annoying dork that used to hang around with me and my crew got beat down!! This is totally awesome!! I gotta check this out!!"

"I thought you were going to walk me to class."

"You're on your own, chica! Besides, I have a study hall this period." Reggie hmmphed. "I know you want to know too, Reg, so I'll call you later and fill you in, unless you find out before the day is out. I should call you anyway, so you can talk some sense into your shrimp-o brother."

"How did you kn---"

"I can see it in your eyes, chica," he winked at her. "The Larsmeister knows these things." He waved to her. "Later, much!" The boy took off to where the crowd was. 

Lars pushed his way through the crowd and listened in on the many conversations that were taking place. At one point, Lars heard someone mention, "Otto Rocket." 

"Rocket Dork?" He cupped his hands around his mouth as the tardy bell rang, and the B-Lunch people were making their way towards the cafeteria. "Hey, what's going on!! What happened?" 

One of the students nearby looked ecstatic. "Oh man, you shoulda seen it!!" the boy exclaimed. "It was totally awesome!!" 

"Wicked," another student screeched out. 

"There was a major fight here earlier!" a girl with long, bushy brown hair told him. 

"Who fought?!" Lars asked anxiously. "Did someone say something about that Josh-dork?" 

"He got beat badly," another student with thin-rimmed glasses, short, dark brown hair, and slightly tanned skin by the name of *Miguel piped up as some of the other students started to disperse. 

The 17-year-old senior was in Lars's classes, minus Study Hall, but didn't participate in the sports activities that their school had to offer, mainly because he worked afternoons at a computer repair shop. Right now, the 5'6 senior was wearing a grey Cardinals sweatshirt, a pair of black Converse sneakers, and a pair of 505 blue jeans. With Miguel, you would never see him without his CD-player Walkman hanging from his belt-loop, and a pair of headphones loosely dangling from around his neck. 

The boy was also a member of the computer club, and would sometimes be in charge of servicing the school's computer labs and tutoring the younger students in computer programming and usage, which would give him some extra points. Due to his being in this club, he knew both Sam and Oliver pretty well and helped them out with their programming occasionally. 

His other extra curricular activity consisted of chorus. He played guitar, and would sometimes be seen carrying it in its case over his backpack. He's played the guitar for some recitals, the most recent being a rock 'n' roll concert during their school's prom just a few weeks back, Twister as the lead vocalist. 

"Otto Rocket taught him a thing or two, and gave him a broken nose!!" Miguel proclaimed. 

"Whoa, whoa, _whoa_!! Rocket Dork beat him up!?" 

Everyone who still hadn't left yet, nodded. 

"That's not fair!!" Lars whined. "_I_ wanted to kick his ass!!" 

"He had a reason," Miguel's 6' tall, curly blonde-haired sophomore friend by the name of *Scott spoke up gently. 

Lars had seen both these kids around before, Miguel especially since they had a majority of classes together, and as far as he knew, both Miguel and Scott were pretty cool. 

Scott was wearing a navy-blue surf shop T-shirt, his letterman jacket, cool, aviator shades that all the girls loved since it made him look "awesome," dark blue Vans tennis shoes, and a pair of 501 jeans. 

"He was protecting a friend, and defending his honor," Scott told him. 

Lars grumbled and crossed his arms stubbornly in slight disgust as the other students started off, leaving Lars with Scott and Miguel. "Honor smhoner, I still wanted to kick his ass! That jerk has been a pain ever since I first met him! He would constantly try to tag along with me and my crew!" 

"You wanted to kick his ass?" Scott asked earnestly. 

Lars snorted. "You better believe it, dude!!" 

"Well, so did half the school. Fate works in mysterious ways, bro." 

Miguel nodded in agreement. "Friend is as friend does, esse," he stated wisely. "When the hour of need came, Ottoman had the cojones to do what needed to be done." 

"Wait, I'm lost. Why would Rocket do that? Since when does _he fight for anyone other than himself?" _

"He was defending the honor of his friend," Scott repeated. 

"_What_ friend?" Lars asked curiously. 'Could it have been Twister?' 

"His friend with the blonde hair and glasses. That Dullard guy." 

"It was very frightening, the situation," Miguel frowned. "That Josh kid deserved what he got." 

The two boys explained the entire situation to Lars who could only blink. Not at Otto's fighting Josh, but at Josh. Even _he wouldn't go that far. He bullied, and he normally only whomped his brother, on a regular basis, but to go as far as almost killing someone? He would never purposely do that. _

'What a loser!! How could he hurt the Squid like that! I mean, sure the Squid is a big dork and pain, but even _he_ doesn't deserve a whomping like that!' 

He then thought for a moment. 

'Wait a minute; they said Otto fought for the Squid. Why would he do that if he's supposedly being an ass to him, Reg, and my brother?' He turned back to Scott and Miguel. "Was there more to the fight than just the Squid being hit the way that he was?" 

Miguel nodded again. "There sure was, bro. He insulted his mother as well. He's nothing but a cretin, insulting the spirit of his deceased mother." 

'Whoa, major harsh!!' 

"That's what really set him off. Sam's nearly being killed was part of the reason, I'd say," Scott declared, "but that insult towards Otto's departed mother was just unforgivable! If you know anything about Josh, Mother Theresa and Saint Francisco would probably line up right behind Otto to whomp him." 

"Definitely so. *I recall a time where Sam got hurt very badly once before, and it was during a roller hockey match, probably the best one of the season that year. A van lost control while driving down on the California Incline, the brakes giving out, and almost hit Otto and Lars, but Sam pushed them out of the way just in time, taking the hit, just like a true friend." 

Lars was still so amazed at Otto that he didn't even hear Miguel's comment. If he had, he would've definitely responded to it. "I-I just can't believe it. Did he--" he cut himself off, as he thought a bit more. He was still surprised at what had occurred just moments earlier. 

"Yo, Lars," Scott called to him. 

"Oh, what?" 

"Were you about to say something?" 

"Oh no, no, nothing," he replied quickly, still trying to make sense of the situation. 'So, Rocket Dork fought for the Squid because that Josh nerd was ragging on him and insulted Mrs. Rocket. That's just not cool! Never insult a kid's parent, especially a deceased one. You never make fun of the dead, it'll anger their spirits.' 

Lars looked up at the clock, realizing that he was incredibly late for his Study Hall. 

"Yo, look, I have to get going and thanks for that information," Lars told the two. Scott and Miguel waved Lars off as they headed back towards the cafeteria. 

"I still can't believe that Josh guy did what he did," Scott said after Lars walked off. 

"Same here, but right now it's time for some grub, esse!" Scott's friend responded while scanning the cafeteria. 

"Definitely, bro!" Scott gave Miguel a sly look. "Sure it's lunch you're interested in?" 

"Of-of course," Miguel stammered, his face going partially red. 

"BUST!!" Scott laughed mockingly while pointing a finger. "You're looking for that girlfriend of yours; Claudia!" 

Miguel grinned. "Naturally." He sighed languorously. "She's the girl of my dreams! The one I plan on marrying someday." 

Scott laughed. "Mention Claudia, and you space out, getting all lovesick. Let's go before all of the Freezy Freezes are sold out." 

Meanwhile, Lars was still deep in thought over Otto. He stood up for his friend, a very noble act indeed, but that didn't sound like the Otto Reggie had just described to him about a half-hour earlier. As much as he hated to admit it, he admired Otto for what he had done. Under the circumstances, he probably would've came to Sam's aid as well, since Josh's behavior was so unforgivable and unacceptable. 

"I guess Rocket Dork isn't as bad as I thought," he murmured as he made his way towards class...  
*****   
Back at the Shore Shack, the phone rang… 

"Want me to get that, bruddah?" 

"No, that's okay Tito, you have to get that next order started anyway. I'll get it." 

Tito nodded and went back to the grill while Ray went to the phone. 

"Shore Shack, this is Ray Rocket speaking...Principal _Healey!!...OTTO DID WHAT?!?" _

Everyone in the Shore Shack heard Ray's outburst, as well as a few passer byers. Tito even turned his attention away from the grill, curious as to what was wrong. 

"Raymundo?" he called. 

Ray waved his hand to Tito, indicating to not worry about him and continue with the orders. Tito shrugged and, reluctantly, went back to flipping burgers and deep-frying the french fries. 

"I'm sorry, but did I hear you right, Healey? Did you say that Otto got into a fight and broke the guy's nose he was fighting with?!" 

A grim look appeared on Ray's face after hearing the grumpy old man's answer. 

"Believe me, Healey, Otto will be punished severely! He knows better than to fight, regardless of the reasons!" 

It was silent on the other end for a short moment. Ray was about to speak up, but Healey spoke up first. 

"You want me to come in for a conference this afternoon?" Ray looked around the semi-full shack. It was the lunch rush. "I'm not sure I can, but I'll manage. How about this afternoon at about 2:00?" 

Healey agreed to the terms. 

"I don't know why we need a conference just for Otto's fighting, but I sense there's more to this than just his fight, right?" 

Healey grimly told him, "Yes," and a few more things. 

"Oh, it's about his punishment? Well, I'll be there at 2." 

Ray hanged up the phone and looked over towards Tito, who had just finished bussing the table Reggie and Lars had just left, and was now giving one customer his order of fish tacos and fries. 

"Enjoy your meal, bruddah." 

"Thanks a lot," the satisfied customer smiled, taking his seat at the table Lars and Reggie had just finished with. 

Ray walked back behind the counter and sighed. 

"What's the matter, bruddah?" Tito asked in concern. "You look more down than a vegetarian participating in a steak eating contest." 

"We have to close up early today, Tito," Ray answered sullenly. 

"How early are you talkin', bruddah?" 

"I have to close up at about 1:30. I have a conference with Otto's school principal." 

"Oh no, what happened?" 

"He got into a fight and gave the kid he fought a broken nose!" Ray pounded his fist down on the surfboard countertop. "How could he do something so irresponsible?! He _knows_ fighting is wrong!"  
  
"Wow, lil' Otto hasn't been in a real bad fight since Elementary school, right?" 

"Yeah. After Olivia died, he didn't have any trouble with fighting, 'cept with Twister at times, and of course, Lars, but that doesn't count. Boys will be boys and boys do fight at times, but to fight to this extent?" Ray started to pace around. "Tito, what's going on with my kids?!" He threw his arms up into the air. "First Reggie was here with _Lars_ and now Otto's getting into fights at school!!" 

"I am quite sure that he had a reason, Raymundo. It's not like Otto to fight. He normally finds some way to show off one of his many extreme skills before fighting." 

"Hey yeah, you're right. He always makes challenges, or race, not fight. I guess it's because I taught him that there's always an alternative to fighting, and so did Olivia…when she was alive." 

Ray sighed again as he tried his best to hold back tears. Mentioning his deceased wife was always painful for him. 

"Well, did the principal mention anything about suspension?" 

Ray thought for a moment. "Hmm, that's strange, he didn't mention anything about a suspension, just 'punishment'. When I think of punishment, I think detention. He was also a lot calmer than he usually is. Healey is like Merv, hotheaded, short patient, and hates it when anyone breaks the rules. He didn't even yell. He sounded a bit concerned, or distressed." 

"Then the situation must be serious, or either he's concerned with something else, if he didn't argue." 

Ray nodded as he stared down at his watch; it was already 1:15. "Well, we better close up now, Tito, but let these customers finish their meals first, of course." 

"I'll go lock up while you announce it, bruddah." 

The two did just that, Ray announcing that they would be closing up momentarily at 1:30, while Tito started to pull down the big metal doors to the shack, but a bubbly laugh caused him to stop. 

"Oh, hello Mrs. Stimpleton," Tito greeted. 

"Now what's with closing up early?" the fun-loving Violet Stimpleton demanded. She had just finished her daily speed walk around the Boardwalk and Pier. She was wearing a blue sweat suit, and a sweatband on her forehead. Even though the woman had just entered her 60s, she was still just as energetic as ever. "I was in the mood for a nice Guava Shake." 

"Oh, hi Violet," Ray said to her. "I have to head down to the kids' school for a while, and there's way too much business here to have Tito handle by himself." 

"Oh Ray, don't you worry none about that," Mrs. Stimpleton smiled. "I'll help out Tito until you get back." 

"Are you sure, Violet?" 

"Of course I'm sure!! You go down to that school and do whatever it is that needs to be done!" She put an arm around Tito, her other hand resting on her hip. "Tito and I can handle this crowd! Don't you forget, Merv and I helped out here before, and it was fun, fun, fun!!" She laughed goofily. 

"You know, bruddah Ray, under the circumstances, I feel that it would be a grand idea to have her help out while you're gone," Tito sincerely told his friend. 'So much for visiting Paula like I was planning while he was out, but staying here _is the responsible thing to do.' _

"Well," he thought for a moment, "okay. I would hate to close up while the business is booming. Thanks Violet." 

"It's no problem, and in return, all I want is a Guava Shake." 

"No problemo!" Tito told her. 

"Wow, thanks you two. You're the best!" 

"It's no problem at all, now you hurry and get to that school. Don't want to get a detention for being tardy," the woman joked. 

"Right," Ray chuckled lightly. 

He waved to Tito and Violet, and headed to Ocean Shores High, wondering what Healey wanted to discuss with him. 'What's so hard about handing out a punishment for fighting?' he wondered as he made his way to his loud, green sputtering station wagon. 

"EVERYONE, YOU MAY CONTINUE YOUR MEALS IN PEACE!" Violet announced at the top of her lungs. "THE SHACK WILL REMAIN OPEN FOR YOUR EATING PLEASURES!" 

The customers shrugged, and went back to eating while Tito let up the metal door he had started to close earlier. 

"Wow, so many customers," Tito said as he headed back behind the counter. 

"You guys are in b-u-s-i-n-e-s-s!" She sat down on one of the stools. 

"Yep, we sure are, Mrs. Stimp." He handed her a Guava shake. 

"Thanks!" She took a long sip and gave out a contented sigh. "Ahh, the perfect drink after the perfect workout!" 

"So what brings you around here?" 

"Well, I just did my power walk around here today, and was in the mood for a Guava Shake. What was with Ray? He looked a bit worried about something. Nothing really bad happened with the kids, did it?" 

He nodded. "Lil Otto-cuz got into a fight at school and the principal wanted to talk to Raymundo." 

"Why, that doesn't sound like Otto. He can be such a little angel. I'm sure that all will be settled." 

"I sure hope so." 

"Oh, speaking of little angels, Reggie and Twister are absolutely adorable!!" 

"What about them?" 

"Oh, those two make the cutest couple!!" 

'Couple? What does she know?' 

"I saw those two this morning when I went out for the paper since Merv was too lazy to go today. I saw those two hugging for so long, and then they almost kissed, but Sammy startled them!! Romance is in the air, Tito! Can't you feel it?!" she explained in her same old, giddy fashion. 

"Wow," was all Tito could say. '_Those_ two? Together? Raymundo obviously doesn't know about it. Are they keeping it secret from everyone? If so, that explains why both Otto and Sam weren't around last night. Speaking of those two, I wonder if Sammy or Otto even know about it.' 

"How long have they been together, Tito?" 

"To be honest, Mrs. Stimp, I have no idea," he replied meekly. 

"You sound surprised," the woman pointed out, walking behind the counter where Tito was. She saw a couple of people coming towards the counter. 

"Oh, no, no, not at all." 

"I'm sure Ray, and both Raul and Sandy are just thrilled, thrilled, _thrilled_!!" 

"Yeah, I bet," Tito mumbled. "Mrs. Stimp, could you not mention this to bruddah Ray?" 

"Why not?" 

"Well, um, because, er, I---" 

She gasped, coming to a surprising realization. "You mean he doesn't know!!" 

Since Tito couldn't think of a way to lie his way out of the situation, he shook his head slowly. 

"And you didn't know either, did you?!" 

"No, ma'am." 

"Oh, so it's a secret romance!" She clapped her hands excitedly. "Well, I'll tell you what, Tito, I won't mention it to Raymundo or anyone else." 

"What about bruddah Stimp?" 

"Even if I told him, who would he tell?" 

"You make a very good point," Tito concurred, nodding slowly. "I'm just surprised that those two are, well, boyfriend and girlfriend, like you said. Are you sure?" 

"My eyes don't lie, Tito. I maybe getting old, but my eyesight is still as sharp as it was when I was 25!" She giggled again. 

Tito didn't know of anyone else who was as giddy, optimistic, or alive as Violet Stimpleton. She was always cheery, and with that mood, it always helped to get everyone around her out of the dumps, her husband, Merv, probably being the exception. He always wondered how both of them ever got together. 

"It's kind of hard to mistaken something like that anyway," she pointed out. 

"Yeah, one can't mistaken a hug, but they almost kissed?" 

She nodded. "Yesiree!" She sighed dreamily. "Young love is _so_ beautiful!" 

"Yes, it is," Tito said slowly, still a bit surprised over the fact that Reggie and Twister were dating. 

"Come on now Tito, let's get crackin'!! These customers need some good eatin'!" The woman then shrieked out, "Cowabunga!!" 

"Um, right," Tito managed to say, meekly, heading towards the grill to prepare the now oncoming orders...  
*****  
After the role was called, Reggie's short, plump Journalism II teacher, *Sharon Olsen, told the senior writers to get as much coverage on the Pep Rally as possible when they went and for the head editor to go over the tape as soon as possible with the head of the A/V group. This, of course, meant that Reggie would have to spend her time after school with Twister. 

Any other time it wouldn't have bothered her, but this time was different. She didn't want to be alone with Twister, but at the same time, she did. She was still confused about her actions from earlier that day, when she almost kissed him. What did it mean? 

Reggie, knowing that it was her responsibility to, just nodded to her teacher, replying with a, "Yes ma'am." 

For the rest of the class period, the students just worked on getting the latest issue of their school's paper out for the students and for circulation (they had to send a copy of their paper to the other High Schools of their district). The paper always went out Friday mornings, but they were late from the printers and had to be delivered before the Pep Rally started. This also meant their having to miss the news broadcast that is always shown during the first 15 minutes of the final class of the day. 

Their teacher broke some of the students up into teams of twos, giving them each a section of the school to drop the papers off at. Students not chosen to go out to perform this easy task were those who were behind in writing articles and had to work on them so that they'll be ready to go to the printers Wednesday afternoon. The others were Journalism I students who did other miscellaneous things for the paper. Reggie's class consisted of Journalism I and II students, they were just all given different assignments, test, and stories to cover. There was no Journalism III, which meant no Journalism course for Reggie her senior year, but she could remain in Journalism through the actual club itself. 

For one group, there was Reggie and Trish; Reggie pulling a wagon behind her stacked with papers and Trish looking at the classrooms their teacher had written out for them. They had to deliver papers to the classrooms on the first floor, near the cafeteria, A/V lab, main office, gym, etc., who had an 8th period block. 

Trish was head of the Advertisement staff, which meant having to get companies to place ads in their paper to help fund it. The school could only pay for so much. The main businesses Trish never had trouble with getting an ad placement for was the Shore Shack and Rocket Boards. Ray and Tito were thrilled to place an ad in their school's paper. 

While walking down the hall, Trish seemed very anxious. Reggie noticed this with her usually composed, and quiet, friend. She also noticed with other students in her class when she walked in. They all looked quite anxious to share something with her, but with their teacher talking, they couldn't quite get it out. The wise, old, English-loving Mrs. Olsen was quite a stickler to the rules and this included no talking while she was talking or else you get a detention. She never had too much trouble with her students after mentioning that rule to her Journalism and English 10, 11 students. 

"Okay, spill it!" Reggie told her friend. She couldn't take it anymore. What was Trish so anxious to tell her? 

"Oh man, Reg, you should've been there!!" Trish exclaimed, coming to their first destination. 

"Been there for what?" 

"Lunch!" 

"Oh, that, well, I, um, er~~" 

"Don't sweat it, girlfriend," Trish told her plainly as she picked up one of the clusters of papers, dropping it by the classroom door. "We have to go to all of the classes on this side of the hall," she said as she walked ahead. Reggie followed behind, the wagon's squeaking being the only thing heard in the empty hallway. 

"Trish?" 

"Oh, like I was saying, don't sweat it about the lunch thing or missing us at the amusement park last night. We figured you just forgot when we saw you with Twister." She dropped another stack of papers down by the next door. She then marked it off her list and headed to the next. 

"You're not curious as to where I was for lunch?" 

"Sam told us, well, he was about to, but that jerk had to bother him," Trish growled, "he _so_ deserved what he got!!" 

Reggie had now figured it out. Something had obviously happened to Sam, and everyone knew that the both of them were good friends, which would explain why everyone seemed so anxious on talking with her. They obviously wanted to spread the news to her since she was obviously not there. 

"What happened to Sam!?!" she asked in alarm, stopping in her tracks. Reggie then recalled something else, when she was on her way to class with Lars. Hearing something about a fight, and Josh. She then gasped, putting two and two together. "Josh fought with Sam, didn't he!!" She didn't wait for an answer and panicked. "Oh my god!! Is Sam okay!!" 

Trish nodded and explained the entire situation to her up to the point before Otto had stepped in. 

"That kook!!" Reggie growled. "Wait until I see him again! He's been a pain to Sam for years now!! I will _so_ majorly whomp him beyond belief!!" 

"As if, Reg!" Trish reprimanded. "He's bigger than you!" 

"I don't care! No one hurts one my friends to that extent and get away with it!" 

Trish gave her an approving smile. "I see it runs in the family." 

"Runs in the family?" A look of confusion appeared on the girl's face. "What are you talking about?" 

She nodded, her long shiny brown hair swishing. "Like I said, it runs in the family. Otto obviously believed the same thing." 

"Otto?" 

"You shoulda seen him! After Josh punched Sam, Otto stood up to him." 

"My brother...he what?" 

"He gave him a _major_ whomping, and a bloody nose!" 

"My brother did that?" Reggie sounded amazed. Her selfish brother stood up for Sam? She thought about it momentarily; that _did_ sound like him. When it came to his friends, he was less than selfish and would always try his best to defend them, but why now when he vowed to just not talk with them? 

"Are you sure your bro is as bad as you said?" Trish asked quietly, loads of doubt evident in her voice. 

"I-I'm not so sure," Reggie managed to say. "That sounds like something the old Otto would do. The one without the attitude problem." 

"Yeah, but I think what really set him off is what Josh said about your mom." 

"My...mother?" 

"He dissed her pretty badly, and Otto just snapped after that. In the beginning, he was definitely fighting for Sam, but after that, he was fighting for that crack Josh gave about your mother." 

Reggie had a dark, distant look on her face. He said something bad about her mother? The person she never had the honor of truly knowing? "What did he say?" she asked, no emotion in her voice. 

Trish told her, and Reggie's fists clenched at her sides. She felt like crying. Her voice quivered slightly, "H-h-how could he-he-he say something like that?!" 

"Reg?" 

"That bastard has no right saying such a thing about my mother! She suffered from cancer!" She trembled in anger. "We had no idea she was suffering, but she always managed to smile for Otto and me whenever we would visit her in the hospital! He doesn't know what it's like to lose a parent! He has no damn right to say a thing like that! She did not _let_ herself die! She had a relapse! Raymundo thinks I don't know all of this, but I do!" 

The next thing Trish knew, Reggie was shedding tears, silently sobbing while staring straight down at the carpeted school floor. 

Trish hugged Reggie, who started to cry. She tried to keep herself from crying, but she just couldn't stop for some reason. She just found what Josh did so cruel that she couldn't compose herself like she would normally, and it also caused painful memories to flood her mind, like her mother's final days and how she never got to hear her mother say she was proud of her story. 

When Olivia read it, she had written on the final page, _Great job, Reggie. I loved this very much and I hope to see more stories from you. You have a real talent for writing, and I hope that you keep it up and continue with it. I want my daughter to become the best writer in the entire world! I want you to share that wonderful talent of yours with the world! _

Reg always found that strange. Why did she write it when she could've waited for them to visit again and tell her then? That was one question Reg could never answer. 

"It'll be okay, Reg, don't worry. That creep is getting what he deserves. I just hope Healey goes easy on your bro." 

After a few moments, Reggie stopped crying and wiped her eyes. Her face was red from embarrassment. No one had ever seen her cry before, other than probably family, and if she did cry, it wasn't because she was sad or upset over something. Maybe just an emotional moment, like when Ray had given her her mom's music box that she had won in her very first surf contest. 

Reg always tried to avoid that one expression of emotion being upset enough to cry. She had to be the strong, non-girly Reggie Rocket. Crying only showed weakness, and she felt that people would think less of her if she did cry, and this included Otto, Sam, and Twister; Otto especially. 

Ever since their mom died, she tried to play the role of mom to him, which meant she had to remain one step ahead of her bro at all times and to act like an adult. Adults didn't cry, in her mind. 

"I'm sorry," Reggie apologized gently. 

"No, it's okay, Reg. You had to let it out, and that's normal. I can't even imagine what you went through during that time." 

Reg gave Trish a weak smile. She was grateful to have her as a friend. "Well, we better get back to delivering these. We start getting called for the pep rally in about 10 minutes." 

"Yeah, don't want to disappoint Mrs. Olsen. She'll go ballistic if we don't get this stuff done." 

With that the two continued their deliveries, Trish refraining from asking where her friend was that day, or what the deal with Twister could've been...  
*****  
Over in the A/V lab, before Reg and Trish started putting out the papers, Twister had just finished eating his lunch and setting up the equipment for the news broadcast, which he did by himself. Fridays had been lonely for him lately. He had been, at times, avoiding the cafeteria so that he wouldn't have to see Otto, yesterday being the exception since he was determined to speak with him, for Reggie's sake. 

He set up everything a bit faster than usual this day. When he went to the cafeteria, he heard mention of Otto, but didn't pay attention. He was too depressed to care fully. The only things on his mind were how many Freezy Freezes he could eat without getting sick. 

"Lighting, check, audio, check," he mumbled as he made sure everything was ready. He hated the fact that he was in charge of everything. He hated that responsibility, but he was the best in the entire club and it was good practice. 

At least one good thing was that he didn't have to actually film the broadcast this week. Another student of the club was since he had to cover the pep rally, something else he really wasn't up to doing, but was still going to do his best on. Since Otto's shunning of him, he hadn't been up to doing much lately, but he tried not to let that show and would still act like the same old, outgoing, extreme footage searching Twister. 

He sighed again as he waited for the bell to ring, indicating the end of the class period, while starting his sixth Freezy Freeze. A few moments later, the bell finally rang and the anchor people for their school's news show entered. A blonde haired senior named Brenda Jordan, and a junior named Chris Atkins. 

"Hi Rodriguez," Chris greeted, his dark, shiny black hair tied into a single ponytail. 

"Yo," Twister greeted unenthusiastically. The sooner he got down to the gym, the better. They weren't having it on the football field this time. 

"Hi there cutie," Brenda smiled at Twister. 

"Um, hey," Twister grinned goofily. "I-I have to get going." 

"Wait, you're not going to film it this week?" 

"No, I 'm covering the pep rally, another A/V member will. Oliver Van Rossum I think." 

"Aww, but you're cuter than he is," Brenda flirted. 

"Um, yeah." Twister didn't know how to respond to this girl who would constantly flirt with him. Otto would always tease that she likes younger, taller men. Twister would just tell him to shut up, playfully, and go back to joking around, like best bros do. "Anyway, I left my directions over by the monitor there, so let Oliver know, okay. I did all of the lighting and sound testing, so he shouldn't have to do much of anything." 

"Okay, cutie!!" She winked at him. 

"So, where's Ot--" Chris could barely get out. 

With that, the boy walked out of the lab and headed towards the gym. He hadn't bothered staying to finish up the convo that both Brenda and Chris were attempted to start. They both knew of what Otto had done in the cafeteria and wanted to ask Twister about it. 

"That sure was rude!" Brenda snorted. 

"We must put this in the broadcast," Chris said as he took his seat. "What Otto Rocket did was heroic." 

She nodded. "Definitely. The entire school should know it!" 

Other students of the class entered the A/V lab, one of these people consisting of Oliver. 

"Why hello there," he greeted, adjusting his glasses. "I am flattered to film your broadcast today." 

"Yeah, that's nice nerd," Brenda muttered. 

Oliver laughed timidly. "So, how do I start?" 

"Directions over by the monitor," Chris pointed. 

"Ahh, perfect! I shall definitely do my best in place of my fellow colleague, Twister." 

"Nice." Brenda rolled her eyes. 

"Hey, how is that Dullard guy doing?" Chris asked, ignoring his friend's rudeness. 

"I am not quite certain," Oliver said as he got behind the camera. "After our confrontation with our principal, we were all sent back to our assigned classes, while Samuel was sent to the Nurse's Office, as well as Rocket Boy." 

"Oh, so you haven't seen him since then?" 

"No, I have not, but we mustn't talk now, you guys go on in one minute!" 

"Right," Chris nodded. 

The two started the broadcast, reading off the regular news, but before they ended, they mentioned Otto. An example of a grand hero and was a great asset to their school. Brenda winked, and blew a kiss to the camera saying, "We love you Otto Rocket!" and "Crush that competition tomorrow!" 

Chris followed up, by saying, "We're behind you, bro!" 

During the broadcast, Twister was too busy to pay attention to it. He was trying to figure out the best place to set up the cameras without anyone getting in the way. After all, he was the one editing these tapes together. He wasn't going to film this by himself, though. He just had to set everything up. There was no way he was going to be able to film from all of the locations. 

After he got it set up the way he wanted it, he smiled, pleased with himself. "There, that ought to do it." 

He then sat down by the main camera he'd be using, the one right where the cheerleaders would be. The only reason he chose that particular spot was because the other guys of the club would film the cheerleaders more than the actual events that would be going on. Sure, he would get a bit of footage of the cheerleaders, but not a whole tape full. It was unprofessional. Filming was about the only thing Twister took seriously. 

After a while, an announcement was heard over the loud speaker, calling certain classes down to the gym. They would call them down a section at a time, or either by grade level. This time, they were sticking with sections of the school. 

The students entered the gym, chattering about, talking about the news broadcast. Twister was waiting for his other three colleagues who were going to be video taping the pep rally. This was supposed to be the most important rally ever, and he definitely didn't want it messed up. He had to concentrate on that. 

After what seemed like an eternity to the young Maurice, the other three students that were supposed to help him film the rally arrived. He gave them instructions and what to stick with. Twister then went back to his camera. 

One of the students started talking to Twister, about to mention Otto, but he just shooed him away and to get ready to start taping the students entering the gym and for the other two to get into position. 

They all shrugged and listened. He was the most experienced when it came to filming angles and what to film in general. Why he would want shots of the students entering and taking their seats in the bleachers was beyond them. What Twister had in mind was going to pretty much be a documentary. He was going to combine the pep rally footage with the surf competition footage, and interviews, which those of the Journalism department would be doing, after the rally and the competition. 

Finally, the entire school was seated in the large gymnasium. It was fixed up during C-lunch for the pep rally. Twister's film was rolling, determined to make the best video in Ocean Shores High pep rally history...  
*****  
A/N: I have a lot of notes for you this time - due to the fact that this chapter ended up so long - so I thought I'd number 'em off to make it easier.

Note 1: Miguel and Scott. Since those two have inspired me so much with this fic, I decided to give them cameos. It's my way of saying thanks. ^_^

Note 2: What Miguel mentions is from mike2000's fic, A Close Call. For the part mentioned, there was a hockey match, Lars took a pot shot at Sam - he aimed the puck right at Sam's stomach, causing Sam to have a bit of an attack - and Otto, Twister, and Lars started arguing. Meanwhile, on the California Incline, was a guy driving a van that should really be condemned, and the breaks were quite bad as well. Sam saw the van coming, but the others didn't, so Sam managed to push them to safety, but he got hit in the process. It was a very good story and I hope you all decide to read it. ^_^

Note 3: Sharon Olsen just happens to be the name of my old High School Honors English 10/11 teacher, and my Journalism I/II/Club teacher. She's the one who got me into writing, inspiring me quite a bit, and got me into a higher level English course since she said I had potential and stuff. Unfortunately, she passed a way a good while ago from diabetes and I feel sad that I never got to say goodbye, so this is sorta my way of thanking her. Of course, if I ever get to write a nice, original work I will definitely dedicate to her. *Nods* For the Journalism thing, she was head of the club, and she got me into it 10th grade, then for 11th and 12th, I took Journalism I and Journalism II. I just wish I would've done better than what I had for it. ^^ Okay, there goes the explanation.


	19. Chapter 18: To Suspend, or Not to Suspen...

Okay everyone, I'm back with the next chapter and we must _definitely thank salsipuedes for all of the inspiration to write out this one. I was at a semi-block until he threw some ideas and scenarios at me. *Hugs* Thank you, thank you, _ thank _ you!! He even helped to come up with the surf coach (he's based on a real pro surfer), some places, the letterman jacket stuff, and he did a lot for me last chapter too, it just slipped my mind to say so. Sorry 'bout that Scott. Always give credit where credit is due, I always say. Oh, speaking of credit, iirc, both Scott and Mike helped me come up with the song used at the pep rally, and I learned a new Spanish word thanks to Mike. ^_^_

I must also say this, thank you to all of you readers who are actually reading this! Without you all, well, there'd be no point in writing this. lol *Hugs* I'm in a hugging mood as of the moment, obviously. lol 

For this chapter, we get into the Pep Rally and Ray's meeting with Principal Healey. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. ^_^ 

Oh, and for those wondering about Reggie's Secret Admirer and where I got it from, I got it online from Barnes & Noble. It was about $7.38, something like that. So, if you all want it, you can get it there. I think I chose Barnes & Noble because it cost more at Amazon. com.

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with Rocket Power. Klasky-Csupo has that honor.

* * *

Chapter 18: "To Suspend, or Not to Suspend!" Ray and Healey's Decision! 

Ray was distraught as he made his way to Ocean Shores High, stopped at the red light. He still couldn't believe it; Otto had been in a fight. Healey had failed to mention what the cause of the fight was, but he figured that he would soon find out. 

"I hope it's not too bad," Ray muttered as the light changed, the engine backfiring before he pulled off...  
*****   
Meanwhile... 

"Principal Healey," the intercom rang, "Coach Fletcher has arrived here to see you." 

"Send him in," the old man instructed, taking a seat behind his desk. He didn't know what to do about Otto, and felt that sending for the coach of the surf team would help in some way. Help him come up with a suitable punishment for the young Rocket. 

A man with loose, shoulder-lengthened curly brown hair entered the office, a backwards-blue cap on his head, a pair of beige shorts, and a dark blue t-shirt. He looked to be in great shape, and had a slim build. 

"Hello there, Fletcher," Healey greeted. 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, hi!" the man responded in slight panic. "I couldn't help but hear about some fight on the way in and Rocket being a part of it. Is he alright? I hope he isn't hurt too badly! He's our best hope against the teams from Huntington Beach, Newport Harbor, and San Clemente tomorrow!" He got quiet for a moment and asked, "Why did you send for me anyway?" 

"It's about Rocket," Healey mumbled quietly. 

"What about him? He _is okay, isn't he?"_

"Yeah, he's fine, as far as I know, but I'm not entirely of one mind as to what to do with him."

"You don't mean...you want to..." The man held his head in frustration. He couldn't believe what Healey was insinuating, not letting Otto surf for Ocean Shores in tomorrow's competition. 

He looked over at Healey who nodded slowly. He also looked a bit down. Normally, Healey loved to punish kids - so it appeared - but this time seemed different.

"Healey, if you don't let Rocket surf tomorrow, you'll have a lot of unhappy people to deal with!"

"Do you know what the fight was about, Fletcher?" Healey asked softly while cleaning off his glasses.

Fletcher shook his head.

"Well, he fought for one of his friends and he caused some major injury to the other party, whom of which is in a lot more trouble than Rocket is as of the moment. Rocket's friend got hurt very badly, and he stood up for him."

"Isn't that nice, great heroism!" Fletcher praised. "That's no reason to keep him out of the competition tomorrow."

"But he broke the rules!" He placed his glasses back on his eyes. "You have to understand that!"

Coach Fletcher leaned on Healey's desk, staring the old man dead in the eyes. "There's a difference between 'following the rules,' and 'doing what's right,' like that one guy who tried to save that plane in Pennsylvania a good while back. The rules said he should sit and accept his fate, but the right thing was to do something about it."

Healey rubbed his chin and thought for a moment. "As much as it troubles me, you're right. I should have remembered, rules don't keep people safe, actions do, but---"

Right at that moment, the intercom on Healey's desk rang again. He pushed the button. "Sir, there's a Mr. Rocket here to see you."

"Send him in, please."

"Yes, sir."

Ray walked into the office as Healey got up to greet him. "Rocket." He shook his hand.

"Healey."

"I'm sure you already know Nathan Fletcher, coach of Ocean Shores High co-ed Surf Team."

"Yeah, long time no see, Nathan!" He gave the man a high five. "How's it going, bro!?"

"Yeah, Raymundo, it's been a while, and I've been doing fine." He nudged Ray in the side. "I see you've put on a few pounds since the last time I saw you."

Ray held in his stomach. "What are you talking about," his voice wheezed, "I'm in the same shape I was 30 years ago!"

"You can breathe now, Ray," Nathan laughed. Ray's face went partially red in embarrassment as he let out his stomach. "I must say this; your son is one of the best surfers on the team! And all of Ocean Shores is counting on him for tomorrow's challenge!"

A smug smile appeared on Ray's face. "I'm sure he gets all of his skills from his old man."

"But your son is actually good," Nathan joked, "are you sure he got it from you and not Olivia? Now _she_ could totally rip!"

Ray got a bit nostalgic and smiled contently. "Yep, that she could, that she could. She could rip, and there was no wave too big for her to handle."

"Yeah, like that time we were all up in Malibu, it was you, me, Tito, Johnny Liu, Olivia, and a few others, about 25 years ago, and the swells were totally awesome, but Olivia just paddled out, caught that 40 foot wave, and---"

Healey, who had grown tired of this reunion, interrupted by clearing his throat. "Excuse me, gentlemen, but we have more important issues to discuss here!"

"Oh, yes," Fletcher coughed, refraining from finishing the story. He then pointed a finger at the old man. "I still say you're making a mistake, Healey!"

He ignored him and turned his attention back to Ray. "Mr. Rocket, have a seat." Ray did as Healey instructed and sat in front of his desk while Fletcher remained standing. "Now, you know why I called you here, about your son's fight."

"Yes, I assure you that Otto will be punished severely. I'm sure three weeks of dish duty everyday after school, and Saturday afternoons at the shack with the shoobie rush'll set him straight."

"Okay, that's nice and all, but---"  
  
"There you go, Healey! The perfect punishment! Let's stick with that!!"  
  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what's going on?"

"You see, Rocket, what your son did makes him a prime candidate for a suspension," Healey firmly stated. "As you know, fighting is against the rules."

"But he had a reason!" Fletcher interrupted. "Ray, tell him not to punish your kid."

"Hold it, I'm all for following the rules, Nathan, you know that. If Healey lets him off, it'd be unfair to other students. It would be like special treatment, and I don't want my boy getting any special treatment just because he's a Rocket or a good surfer or for whatever the reason."

"I'm glad you see things my way, Rocket, but at the same time, I _agree_ with Fletcher, here." 

Ray's eyes nearly bugged out. 'What in the world happened to cranky old Principal Healey, and who is this guy sitting in his place?!' Ray coughed some. "But fighting is wrong. What punishment were you planning on giving him if not suspension?" 

"Something _much_ worse!!" Fletcher cried. "Not let him surf tomorrow in the competition!" 

"_What_!?! That's an All-State Competition! It's the finals!!" 

"I _know_ that!" Healey spat regrettably. "But he broke the rules, and his reason for the fight makes this even harder on me." 

He explained to Ray why Otto had fought in the first place, and how he was already given a week's worth of detention for cutting class. 

"Wow, Sam," was all Ray could say. His son did that? Fought for Sam to that extent? He was pretty proud of him, and now understood why Healey was having such a difficult time. He wanted to punish Otto because he had broken the rules, but then at the same time, didn't want to because of why he had. 

"You can now see the predicament I'm in, Mr. Rocket. For what your son did, he should get at least a month's suspension, due to how bad the fight was, but I'm not going to be that strict with him, unless it's necessary, and that's why you're here. Either don't let him surf tomorrow, or take the suspension." 

"But, Healey," Fletcher groaned. 

"Quiet!" the man commanded. "My hands are tied, Fletcher! If I let Rocket off, it would seem like we were giving him special treatment just because of his being a sports star." 

"But people will hate you if you pull him out!" 

"I'm going to be hated regardless of what I do!" Healey snapped. "If I let Rocket participate in that surf competition tomorrow or not give him a suspension, the boy's parents that Rocket got into the fight with, and the superintendent will either hate me or get mad at me for not following the rules; and if I _do give Rocket a punishment, the students and Otto Rocket fans will hate me." _

Fletcher was about to respond, but Healey didn't give him the chance to. 

"Being a principal of a school where it is my job to constantly enforce rules is not all that glamorous, Fletcher, and unless you know what it's like, you have to right to decide whether or not Rocket deserves a punishment. 

"Just because I'm a principal doesn't mean I actually _enjoy giving out punishments. In this case, I really wish I didn't have to, but rules are rules and it'll look bad on me and this school if I didn't punish Rocket in some way." _

Fletcher just stood there, and refrained from saying anything else. 

"Well, Rocket? It's up to you." 

"Um, well, I, um...er...I can't..." 

"Rocket, I can't make this decision myself. Which do you feel is more appropriate?" 

"Neither, actually. He stood up for a friend." 

"I _know_ that! I've said about 100 times that I don't _want_ to punish him, but it has to be done. I'm against it, actually." 

"Think about this carefully, Ray. The competition tomorrow, an all-_state_ competition..." 

Ray hated to have to make this choice. He thought for a good while and finally came to a decision. 

"Okay, Healey," he nodded slowly, "I'm ready." 

Fletcher crossed his fingers while Ray took a deep breath. He then ran his hand through his short, wavy blonde hair. 

"I...feel...that...the...punishment...should...be---"   
*****   
In the gym, Twister was getting as much epic footage as he could. He just hoped that the other three guys were. One of them game back over to him, just to try and ask about Otto, but the boy just grew annoyed over hearing his former best bro's name, grit his teeth, and growled out at him, "¡Llégale! [Beat it!]" 

Not wanting to get on Twister's bad side, which seemed to be all sides this particular day, he left, and went back to filming. 

Right now, the Surf Team was about to be introduced - the pep rally was almost over, and the band and other sports teams had already been recognized - but they were going to single out the three main stars, Trent, Trish, and Otto. Otto had a study hall for his 8th block class, so he just didn't go to it. He was preparing for his entrance. 

The Assistant Surf Coach called up each student to the front while the band played, _We Are The Champions_ by Queens, the students singing along. Both Trent and Trish ran down to the floor of the gym from the bleachers, students roaring and the cheerleaders tumbling and cheering for them. 

Twister got a bit of footage of the cheerleaders, hey, he was a guy after all and just couldn't resist pretty girls jumping around, but he didn't make that his main focus, as the other guys probably would have. 

While taping, he wondered where Otto was. He then rolled his eyes. 'I bet he's planning a spectacular entrance so he could show off.' 

He didn't know just how right he was. 

"I don't know where Otto Rocket is, but he should be here," the assistant coach said over the mic. 

Right at that moment, from the opposite side of the gym, a student with thick, dreaded hair wearing a letterman jacket, which was green, the sleeves white, with a gold trim, green-lensed shades, on a skated in on a skateboard. 

All the students stared in awe, which included Twister. He was so amazed at Otto's skating in, his ill feelings towards him temporarily vanished, and he found himself idolizing and rooting for him. "Way to go, bro!!" 

There weren't any places for him to do tricks since the surface was flat, but he did kick flip and do a couple of ollies. He stopped beside Trent and Trish and kicked his skateboard up, and held it in his hand. All the students cheered even louder and clapped and rooted, "Otto, Otto, Otto!" 

The assistant coach clapped for Otto as well, and so did their assistant principal. So Otto just broke the number one rule of not skateboarding on school property, but both knew that Otto could win the competition tomorrow. Who cares if he broke one tiny rule? 

Otto took the microphone and spoke into it. 

"WHAT'S UP, OCEAN SHORES!!" 

Everyone cheered.  
*****   
Meanwhile, in the bleachers, Sam and Sherry sat. 

"I can't believe Otto did that!!" 

"Well, Sam, after what he did today, he deserves to get away with stuff." 

"I guess," Sam mumbled, his attention back on Otto. 

She smiled at Sam and put an arm around his round shoulder. "You, like, worry too much Sam. Otto'll be fine." 

"Y-yeah, maybe y-you're right!" his voice squeaked. 

"Are you, like, okay?" 

The boy started to sweat a bit as Sherry let go of him. "S-sure I'm okay!!" He took out his inhaler and started to puff on it. 

"Um, if you say so..."   
*****   
"Only Rocket Dork could get away with something like that," Lars spat jealously while rolling his eyes. 

"Isoudhalsboduou major dork," zit-faced Sputz mumbled. 

"He's just trying to show off," the heavy-set Pi complained. "That should be you out there, man." 

"Duh, I know!" Lars stared bitterly down at Otto. 'Who am I kidding; there's no way I could go up against him in a surf competition. He's just too good, but it _would be nice to be able to compete tomorrow. I practiced so hard for it too. Maybe Rocket Dork'll whomp himself before the competition and then I can fill in!' The boy gave an inward smile in amusement. 'I shouldn't hold my breath. Neither of them'll probably get kicked out before the competition for me to replace them.'   
*****   
Reggie sighed and rested her head in the palms of her hands. 'I _so_ cannot believe he did that. Healey would totally wig if he had seen that. He's lucky the Assistant Principal didn't bust him.'  
*****  
"---AND I PROMISE TO WIN THAT COMPETITION TOMORROW THAT'S GOING TO BE HELD AT SPRAY BEACH!! THOSE OTHER TEAMS HAVE NOTHING ON OTTO ROCKET!! I'LL BEAT ALL NINE OF THEM!!"_

'Real nice, Otto,' Trish muttered in thought. 'Take all the credit, why don't you?'

'He seems to have forgotten that Trish and I are in the competition as well…'

The rest of the gym started to chant, "TAKE NO PRISONERS, TAKE NO PRISONERS, TAKE NO PRISONERS---"

'Lame-o,' Twister thought as he kept the camera on Trent, Trish, and Otto rolling. 'It's like he totally forgot that he's not the only one in that competition tomorrow. He's totally ignoring Trent and Trish. I'd be totally tweaked if I was up there right now with him.'

He decided to get some shots of the students in the bleachers, but one student caught his eye. The set of bleachers closest to him, on the front row, sat the journalism students. His camera got stuck on one student in particular, Reggie. He zoomed the lens a bit and sighed dreamily. 'She's so beautiful,' he thought. After a short moment, Twister realized that he had the camera on Reggie and shook his head. He had to stop getting distracted, especially when it came to her. 

He finally went back to getting the footage of the students and the stuff that he was supposed to get...  
*****  
Ray sighed as he walked away from Ocean Shores High, back to his car. He had hoped he made the right decision, and hoped that Otto wouldn't hate him _too_ much for it, but he agreed with Healey, that Otto deserved some kind of a punishment. With actions came consequences.

He hopped into his car, and starting it up, the engine backfiring before putting it into gear.

"I hate having to make decisions like this," Ray said quietly as he headed back to the Shore Shack...  
*****  
The pep rally had finally ended, and the bell rang, which ended the day. The students started to leave the gym, to head to wherever it was they were supposed to go. 

Lars was planning on heading home. This day had been too much for him. He was already annoyed over the fact that he couldn't surf in the competition the next day - it bugged him more than he let on when he talked with Reggie - but now some more fame was going to go to Otto's head, making him even more unbearable to hang around. He did respect what he had done for Sam, but he just sensed the worse in the way he was going to handle it. 

At first, Lars was going to go find "Rocket Dork's sister," but then remembered that, her being the head writer of their school paper, she would probably have to do a few interviews before leaving.

'I guess I'll call her later. I need someone to complain about her brother to, and I bet this'll just bum Twister out even more if Rocket Dork doesn't shape up.'

Twister started to put away his tripod, and was going to hurry over to Trent and Trish - since he knew they were going to be interviewed - when he overheard two students talking.

"Wow, I hope Otto does win tomorrow!" the first student said.

"Definitely, man! He _so_ deserves to win after what _he_ did today!"

Twister had been overhearing stuff like that all during the rally, but would soon tune them out and go back to his work.

"Rocket deserves a dedication in some way!"

"He sure does," the first student agreed.

Twister was about to ask what the two were talking about, when he caught sight of Reggie again. She was obviously the one covering the interviews, which meant he had to get over there fast! He ran off towards Reggie, Trent, and Trish. Otto was around, but girls whom were all swooning over him, currently surrounded him.

"Oh, hey Tw-Twist," Reggie responded timidly. That morning was still fresh in her mind, their almost kissing.

"Hey mate," Trent greeted while eyeing Twister suspiciously.

"Yeah, hi guys," Twister said quickly, avoiding eye contact of any sort with Reggie. "Let me get my camera set up before you start your interviews, Reg."

"Yeah, su-sure," she stammered slightly.

"Are you going to interview Otto too?" Twister asked, putting his tripod back up, setting the camera on top of it.

"I don't know," Reg said.

"I doubt you'll be able to get through his crowd of fangirls over there," Trish stated sarcastically, "but I guess after what he did today, it was expected."

"Yeah, standing up for a friend show definite heroism," Trent agreed.

"I still can't believe that Josh-dork did that!" Reggie growled.

Twister could only stare in perplexity at the three as he scratched his head. "Huh? Josh?"

"I'm just glad Sammy is okay," Reg said with a small smile.

"He was better than okay," Trent told her. "He's very tough, and got to his inhaler just in the knick of time!"

"Squid? Josh? What happened?"

"After school, I'm going to go see how he's doing."

"Same here, Reg," Trish said. "After I meet up with Coach Fletcher, I'm heading right down there." 

"I'm pretty sure Sherry is already with him," Trent mentioned.

"Are you going to come along too, Trent."

"Yeah, after our briefing with Coach Fletcher, yeah, I'll walk with you over to Sam's."

They kept talking, Twister trying his best to get their attention. He grew tired of being ignored.

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED WITH THE SQUID AND JOSH THE BASTARD!" Twister shouted.

"Whoa, Twist-dude, chill," Trish told the redhead.

"Wait, you don't know happened with Otto and Sam today?" Reggie asked in disbelief.

He shook his head.

"Wow, mate, you sure aren't observant. Everyone was talking about it, and it was mentioned on the news broadcast."

"I was busy, and," he glanced over and Reggie briefly before looking back at Trent, "concentrating...on...other...things."

"My brother and Josh got into a big fight after Josh punched Sam."

"It was awful, Twist," Trish continued. She then explained the entire situation to him, and how he had insulted Otto and Reggie's mom, and how Sam could barely breathe after the punch.

"Whoa!" 

He looked over at Otto who had a big grin on his face with all of the girls worshipping and praising him, and this included the entire Varsity and Junior Varsity Cheerleading Squad. Girls were always after Otto. Twister always wondered why Otto never seemed to show an interest in those girls, well, he never knew if he did or not. Otto didn't talk about them much, not like he did, although, every once in a while, he _would_ ask about his older cousin, Clio, and when she would be visiting next time. 

Twister's current expression was unreadable to the others, but Reggie had an idea as to what the boy was thinking, "Otto did _that_?!?"

"You mean, Josh whomped the Squid, and O-man whomped him?!"

The three nodded.

"Wow," was all Twister could say. He then got an annoyed look on his face. "Where's Josh! I'll finish where Otto left off!!"

Trent laughed. "I don't think there's much more you can break on him, Twist."

"Yeah, Otto broke the dude's nose!"

"Well, there's his arms," Twister bashfully stated.

"We'll worry about Otto later, and discuss what other ways you can whomp Josh," Reg interrupted, "now, let's get this interview started, and start rolling, Twist!"

"Oh yeah, right!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After Reggie finished with Trent and Trish, she decided not to even bother with her brother. If she wanted an interview from him, or comments, she'd have to wait until after they were both at home.

Right now, both she and Twister were in the A/V lab.

"You know the procedure," Reggie sighed despairingly, "we have to go over anything you film to use as footage for our news broadcast next week and get screen captures, save the files, and use them for the paper."

"I'm not going to do anything until after the surf competition. I really don't feel like it now. Besides, I want to go see how Sam is doing. He's probably left already."

"Same here, let's bag this and bail."

The two left the school and walked towards home, both pretty quiet. Their minds still wandered to that morning.

"So, ugh, how are things going, Twist?"

"Um, everything's okay," Twister answered forcefully. He wasn't sure if he wanted to talk to Reg or not.

"Otto's something, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he's something alright, standing up to Josh like that for the Squid."

Reggie laughed a bit. "I still don't see how you could go as long as you did without hearing about the fight."

"Well, when I get started with an A/V project, I kinda don't pay attention to anything else," he laughed timorously.

After that, the two were quiet again. Twister gulped a bit as he started to swing his arms at his side. Before he knew it, he grasped Reggie's hand. Reggie's eyes went wide, and her heart started to beat erratically. 

'He-he-he's holding my-my-my hand!' She grasped onto his hand back. She didn't want to let go of it, nor did she want him to.

Twister hadn't even realized he had grabbed Reggie's hand. After a short moment, it hit him. He and Reg were walking down the street hand in hand. 

"Oh Reg, I'm so sorry!!" he apologized hastily as he let go.

"Oh, it was nothing Twister," she said assuredly while trying to remain relaxed. 'I didn't mind at all.'

The two finally arrived at the cul-de-sac in which they lived. 

"Hey, Twist, looks like someone's at your house. I see a bike, and I know it's not yours or your brother's."

"Hey yeah, you're right, especially since Lars finds an excuse to drive everywhere." He looked over at Reggie. "I wonder whose bike it is."

"Let's go see," the girl suggested, "and then we can go hang out up at the Pier again together," she added meekly.

"Oh, well, yeah, sure. Of course, we could. I mean, if you want to, or maybe, either, we could, um, you know, like, go surfing together?"

"Yeah! I haven't had a good surf in a while! But we must go see Sam first!"

Twister's face was a bit red due to how nervous he was feeling. "Exactamente, amiga!"  
*****  
Meanwhile, in the Rodriguez home...

"He's here, he's finally here!" an energetic soon to be 14-year-old boy exclaimed while jumping up and down in place. "Twister is finally home and Reggie is with him!!"

"Calm down," a tall, 17-year-old girl with long, wavy light-purplish hair laughed.

"But it's been a long time since I've seen him, or Reggie, or Otto, or Sam!"

"Same here for me. Reggie and I have a lot of catching up to do." She then gave a satisfying smile. "I'm _so_ glad I get out of school before they do. They still have about two or three more weeks to go."

Mrs. Rodriguez walked in the room. "Lars was surprised by both your arrivals today, and I'm sure Mauricio will be as well."

"Where is Lars anyway, Aunt Sandy?" the girl asked.

"He's on the phone right now, but I'm sure he'll be done in a bit. I'm sure you would like to catch up with both boys."

The girl nodded to her aunt.

"Come on, Clio! Let's go out and greet them!"

Before the girl could respond, the younger boy grabbed her hand and pulled her out the front door.  
*****  
"Twister!! Hey Twister!!" the boy called excitedly.

Reggie and Twister blinked and stared in surprise at the two that were running towards them. 

"Rod, Clio?" the two asked in unison.  
*****  
A/N: Man, this was a long chapter as well. I just can't seem to write normal lengthened chapters, like the first few. lol Well, I hope you all enjoyed this part. I know I enjoyed writing it, but I feel that I should apologize for the pep rally stuff. It was a bit brief, huh? Well, my mind was a blank on what to include, exactly, which is why it was so brief. The Surf Competition will most likely be done in the same, exact way.

I know you guys are mad at the fact that I left a cliffhanger in the middle of the chapter, right? lol What will Otto's punishment be? You all will definitely have to read the next chapter, or two, to find out. I haven't written that out quite yet. ^^


	20. Chapter 19: The Energetic Engineer, Rode...

Okay, I am finally back everyone. Sorry for taking such a while, but like I mentioned before, I had to put my full concentration on writing an original short story for my English class. If you guys would like to read that story, go right ahead. 

Since it's an original story, it won't be on ff.net. You have to go to http:// www. fictionpress. net / profile.php?userid = 7941 to read that or to read the fic directly, just go here http://www. fictionpress. net / read. php? storyid=1535895. You guys know the procedure, close up the spaces. My theme was loneliness and longing, which is pretty much what the story is about, a girl who feels alone and decides on suicide, but something stops her from doing so. It's called Because I Live, and thanks goes out to Scott for the title suggestion. ^_^ I hope you all decide to read it. Oh, and a warning to you all, don't read the other original works I have there. They're pretty much awful, and old. lol Need to be rewritten very badly. 

Okay, I'm done promoting myself, so now let's get down to business! The stuff that's supposed to happen in this story. For this, it's pretty much introducing Clio and the young boy Roderick, the "guest character," I mentioned earlier. Lars also has a discussion with Reggie. 

Oh, as for Otto's punishment, I _did_ hint at what it was through both Principal Healey and Clio, ironically, in the previous chapter. The clue is dealing with time. *Smirks*

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with Rocket Power. Klasky-Csupo has that honor.

* * *

Chapter 19: The Energetic Engineer, Roderick Vandenack. and the Graceful Ice Queen! 

Meanwhile, in the Rodriguez home... 

"He's here, he's finally here!" an energetic soon to be 14-year-old boy exclaimed while jumping up and down in place. "Twister is finally home and Reggie is with him!!" 

"Calm down," a 17-year-old girl with long, wavy light-purplish hair laughed. 

"But it's been a long time since I've seen him, or Reggie, or Otto, or Sam!" 

"Same here for me. Reggie and I have a lot of catching up to do." She then gave a satisfying smile. "I'm _so_ glad I get out of school before they do. They still have about two or three more weeks to go." 

Mrs. Rodriguez walked in the room. "Lars was surprised by both your arrivals today, and I'm sure Mauricio will be as well." 

"Where is Lars anyway, Aunt Sandy?" the girl asked. 

"He's on the phone right now, but I'm sure he'll be done in a bit. I'm sure you would like to catch up with the boys." 

The girl nodded to her aunt. 

"Come on, Clio! Let's go out and greet them!" 

Before the girl could respond, the younger boy grabbed her hand and pulled her out the front door.   
****  
"Twister!! Hey Twister!!" the boy called excitedly. 

Reggie and Twister blinked and stared in surprise at the two that were running towards them. 

"Rod, Clio?" the two asked in unison. 

The two stopped in front of Twister and Reggie. They couldn't believe their eyes. Twister's cousin Clio and the Rodriguezes' friend, Roderick, were visiting.

"Whoa, how did you get here!" Twister managed to get out, staring at the short boy.

He gave Twister a cheery smile. "I was just in the neighborhood." The energetic boy then hugged Twister tightly. "It's so good to see you again, bro!" 

"Roderick? You're here? At my house?" 

He turned loose of Twister and smiled up at him. "Yep, I sure am. Are you surprised? Sandy said that you and Lars probably would be surprised!" 

"Surprised...yeah...very...surprised..." 

Roderick Vandenack was a 13-year-old boy, quite energetic and loving. His family was good friends of Twister's family; they had been for many years. He had short brown hair and loved baseball, one of his favorite teams being the Dodgers. The boy also took karate and was already on his brown belt. He was pretty close to becoming a black belt. The family felt that it would be a good way for Roderick to get some sort of exercise, and to keep his strength up. 

He was pretty smart for his age, and was a genius when it came to fixing things. That was mainly because his family ran a Car Restoration shop, so he learned at a very young age how to fix and work on cars. 

Even though the boy was 13 - he will be 14 that upcoming October - he was pretty small for his age and he was only just a 7th grader. When he was eight, Roderick suffered from leukemia, and when he was ten, a brain tumor developed. He went under a lot of treatments, which caused him to miss a whole year of school. 

The boy remained optimistic through those times, sorta like Olivia did during her painful ordeal. 

"Wow, big sis!" Roderick said to Reggie. He gave her a hug. Reggie, still surprised to see the small boy before her, hugged him back. "It's been so long since I've seen you too! I wish we could visit more often!" 

"Big sis," was something Rod called Reggie every time he saw her. He considered her to be one. 

"Wow, hi Roderick!" 

"Where did you two come from!!" Twister asked again. He looked over at the tall, slim girl beside Roderick. "Clio, how'd you get here? Why are you here? Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" 

"Because, it wouldn't have been a surprise," Clio laughed. "I'm staying with you guys for about a week before my real vacation starts!" the girl gloated. 

Twister looked at her in confusion. "Real vacation?" 

"As you know, school just recently let out for me, so my summer vacation starts before yours does. This year, I shall be going to Hawaii!" She flipped some of her long hair over her right shoulder. 

"Whoa!" both Reg and Twist said in amazement. 

"That is ultra cool!" Reggie exclaimed. 

"My parents asked me where I wanted to go this year, and I picked Hawaii. Just think of all of the awesome waves I'll be catching while there! And the best part is that I'll get to hang out with Keoni!" 

"He knows you're coming?"  
  
"Of course, Mauricio," Clio teased. Twister glared at the older girl. Clio smiled. She loved to tease her cousin. "Anyway, I got here round about mid-day along with Roderick here. He and his family got here right when Aunt Sandy returned here with me from the bus stop at the Pier." 

"You mean Monica and Mike are here along with Arturo!?" 

"You missed 'em, Twist. Mom, dad, and my brother had to go out of town for a seminar and a car show in Detroit, Michigan! One of dad's classic cars is on display. They both took my brother and his good friend, Armando, with them since both are too young to hang out with us big kids." 

He said that proudly. 

"Arturo is going to be eight soon and his friend is also eight. They both wanted to see Otto, especially Armando since he had been practicing his skateboard tricks, but they had to go if they didn't want to miss their flight in Santa Monica. 

"I insisted on staying here since I didn't want to hang around with little kids, especially since that surf competition is tomorrow! I bet Otto is in it!" 

"You bet right," Reggie replied dryly. "He's in the competition tomorrow, and so are my friends Trent and Trish." 

"That's also why I'm here. I must check out Otto and see how he does tomorrow. I wonder if he's improved any since the last time I was here." 

"He's been practicing nonstop lately," Twister answered Clio with a half smile. 

'He's been quite a jerk too,' Reggie inwardly muttered, 'but he _did_ help out the Squid, like his old self.' 

"Well then, who's up for a surf session!" Roderick asked excitedly. "I brought my surfboard with me, Twister! I've been practicing! I was hoping that you, or Lars, or Otto could teach me a few things." 

Twister ruffled the younger boy's hair and smiled. "You bet, bro." 

"How long will you be staying, Roderick?" Reggie asked. 

"Just until Tuesday when they come back. Sandy and Raul are going to take me to school Monday and Tuesday, and my karate lessons." 

"Hey, where are Sam and Otto?" Clio asked, noticing that they were two people short. 

"We had a pep rally today," Reggie explained. "Otto's probably still at school, his ego growing larger than what it already was, and Sam left before us, so he's probably already at home." 

"Let's go get him and hit Madtown!!" Roderick looked like he was ready to explode since he was so anxious to hang out at the many sites that were around this part of Ocean Shores. 

"Okay, okay, we can go to Madtown," Twister finally said. "But do you have your---" 

"I have some new rollreblades _and_ I have my bike with me so we can go mountain biking!! I even have a new skateboard! A Variflex. It's not all fancy or anything like Otto's wheels, but it gets the job done!" 

Reggie looked over at the boy gently. She knew of the boy's being sick years earlier. "Are you sure you're up to all of that strenuous activity?" 

"Of course I am, sis! I can handle all of that stuff!" 

"Yeah, Reg," Twister's voice sounded a bit stressed, "he can handle it." He then looked at the boy, a worried look etched to his freckled face. 'I hope he can.' 

Before anyone else could comment, Lars walked out the door of the Rodriguez home, his head facing the ground. A look of surprise on his face; he couldn't believe the phone call he had just received. 

He looked up and saw Reggie standing beside Twister, talking with Clio and Roderick. He had to talk with her. Not caring whether his brother was there or not, he called to the younger girl. 

"Hey, Rocket Dork's sister, get over here!" 

Surprised, Reggie looked over towards Lars. He looked to be in need of something. She then inwardly smiled. 'Typical Lars to act so rude.' 

"Oh why must he always be that way," Clio muttered in annoyance while rolling her eyes. "The boy's name is Otto." 

"Give it up, Clio," Reggie said with a small laugh. "If he didn't call me Rocket Dork's sister, or my brother a Rocket Dork, then something would be wrong. You guys go on over to Sammy's. I'll go see what Lars wants." 

Twister looked a bit vexed by Lars's calling Reggie. It didn't seem right to him. 'What could he possibly want with Reggie?' 

"Want me to take your backpack, Twist?" 

"Oh, um...yeah, I guess so," he said quietly. He slowly took off the backpack, and handed it to Reggie. 

"What's wrong?" 

"N-nothing," he said quickly. 

"Well, you guys go check on Sammy. Make sure he's all right and I'll be right there." 

"All right?" Clio asked. "What's going on?" 

"I'll explain it on the way, let's go," Twister instructed dully. 

Reggie walked over to Lars who was leaning against the pane of the door. "It's about time, Rocket Dork's sister." 

"What's with being so rude to me!" Reggie demanded, tossing Twister's bag inside. 

"Sorry, force of habit," he said quickly. 

"So what is it? I want to go check up on Sammy." 

"It's about your brother." 

"What about him!! Is something wrong!?" she asked in alarm. 

"No, well, I sense that something will," Lars replied slowly. 

"What are you talking about?" 

"Does your brother have a bad temper?" 

"Well, um, I---" 

"I personally don't think he has a bad temper, usually," Lars said as serious as can be, "but I sense that what he's about to find out is going to affect everyone around him." 

"Wait, what did you find out?" 

Lars sighed and ran his right hand through his long, brown hair. He then said simply, "It's about his punishment for the fight he got into today with that loser, Josh." 

Reggie stared up at the boy curiously, eagerly awaiting his answer. Lars opened his mouth slowly, and finally gave the girl the news...  
****  
Back at the Shore Shack, only earlier... 

"Hey, Bruddah Ray is back," Tito said while waving from the counter. 

Ray didn't say anything as he walked behind the counter with Tito and Mrs. Stimpleton. 

"Oh dear, it didn't go well, did it?" Violet asked in concern. 

Ray shook his head slowly. "It was terrible, you guys. Otto _did_ get into a fight at school, and he actually had a good reason for it." 

"Fighting is wrong no matter what the situation may be," Violet reprimanded, her hands on her hips. "Raymundo, I am surprised at you, supporting Otto's reason for fighting." 

"Now hold on a minute there, Violet; I _am_ against fighting since it never does solve anything, but Otto _didn't_ fight for himself." 

She stared at him and gave a small shrug. "I don't quite follow." 

"Did the little Rocket-cuz stand up for someone?" Tito asked. 

"Yeah, how did you know?" 

"Well, I've known the kid since he was knee-high to a coconut tree, and Otto is not the type to fight unless provoked or teased, and both you and Olivia did a good job of teaching him _not_ to do that and to find other ways to avoid such confrontations. 

"The only way I could see a person like him fighting is if he was standing up to a bully for a friend, or for someone that is very special to him." 

"Wow Tito, you're absolutely right," Violet realized. "Was it really bad?" 

"Well, he broke the kid's nose he got into the fight with." 

"So what happened?" Tito asked. 

"It's...Sam..." Ray said slowly. 

Tito's eyes went wide. "Otto stood up for Sam!?" he asked in alarm. "He wasn't fighting, was he? Is he okay!?" Tito always saw Sam as his own child. He cared about him like a father would his son. 

Ray nodded slowly and took a seat at one of the chairs located by the cash register; Mrs. Stimpleton gasped. "No, it can't be true! Not little Sammy!" 

"I'm afraid so, Violet. See, the boy Otto got into a fight with punched Sam, and he stood up for Sam, and fought in his place. Sam had a slight asthma attack from the hard punch and according to Principal Healey, Sam didn't start the fight and was trying to avoid it. He resisted and got punched in the process." 

Tito was now very worried. "Is the lil' cuz alright!!" 

"I can assure you that Sam is fine, Tito. He went to the nurse's office and insisted on going back to class I found out. Healey called the nurse and got the information before I left." 

"Maybe I should go see him," Tito slightly panicked. "I should call Paula and see how he's doing." 

"Bro, Sam is fine." Ray gave him an reassuring smile. "He's a tough kid." 

"I will most definitely check on him when I head back home," Mrs. Stimpleton insisted. 

"The real problem, right now, is Otto's punishment." 

"You mean the principal is planning on punishing Otto for standing up to a bully?" 

"That sure is unfair!!" 

"It wasn't by choice, Violet, Tito. His hands were tied. He really didn't want to, given the situation, but had to. Rules _are_ rules. He wanted to discuss which punishment I felt was more appropriate."  
  
"I don't like the sound of that," Tito replied. 

"The choices were to either allow Otto to be suspended from school, or to either let him _not_ surf in the competition tomorrow." Ray sighed despairingly. "I didn't know what to do. 

"I couldn't let him get suspended, and he would be terribly upset if he stayed out of the competition tomorrow." 

"You couldn't work anything else out?" 

Ray shook his head to the old woman. "Nope, couldn't. It was a very difficult decision. What Otto did was bad enough to get him suspended for a month, but there's only about two or three weeks left of school anyway, which would've flunked him for the year. 

"Miss the competition, it's just a competition," Ray said wryly. 

"What about the other boy!" Tito asked, slightly angered. "Why should Otto get all of the blame for such a situation!!" 

"That boy is facing expulsion charges for purposely harassing another student, and there are lots of students not friends of Sam or Otto, that can vouch for the entire situation, how Sam tried to avoid the fight, the boy continuing to bother Sam, hitting him, and just laughing at him knowing that Sam could've died from his asthma attack." 

Ray regretted the last sentence he said. He knew how Tito worried about Sam the same way he worried about Reggie or Otto at times. Tito was pretty much a parent to Sam. 

"_DIED_!?!" 

"He got his inhaler and is fine, bro." 

Tito forced a nod. "Yeah, whatever bro." 

"So, Ray, which did you choose?" 

He looked up at Mrs. Stimpleton and asked her, "What do you _think_ I chose?"  
****  
"Oh my gosh, Lars!" Reggie managed to say. "He's going to be totally tweaked, and this will _definitely_ affect his school work!" 

"I just don't feel that this is…fair," Lars managed to say, an awkward ring in his voice. "He stood up for Squid Dork. As much of a pain he is, even _he_ doesn't deserve that kind of a punishment." 

"I agree, he doesn't, but what can we do?" 

"I have to go," Lars said quickly, walking past her. "I'll talk with you later." 

"But---" 

Before Reg knew it, Lars hopped into his car that was parked in the driveway, shifted into gear, and pulled off. She definitely found that odd. He seemed a bit distraught over the situation. To Reggie, it seemed as if Lars was concerned over Otto's situation, and that scared him since he wasn't used of feeling such a thing. He just didn't know how to react to it. 

Reggie's interpretation was absolutely right. Lars _was_ concerned about Otto, and he definitely wasn't used of that since he had always found him highly annoying. His caring was out of character for him. Since Lars didn't know exactly how to handle himself on such a subject, he ran. 

Not having anything else better to do, she went to her house and put her backpack away, and then headed over to Sam's...  
****  
Over at Sam's, before the gang got there... 

"Sam, are you _sure_ you're okay," Sherry asked for the tenth time. She had insisted on Sam's staying in bed and had tucked him in. Right now, she was seated at the foot of his bed. Sam had gotten rid of his bunk bed a long time ago. 

He found Sherry's gesture nice, but he didn't need to be tucked in like a five year old. "I told you Sherry, I'm fine, but don't mention the fight stuff to my mom, please!!" 

"Why? She should know." 

"Her worry wart would definitely explode this time if she knew about that," Sam whimpered slightly, sitting up, "and she's been sick lately. She's starting to get better and I don't want her to have to worry about something that _almost_ happened. I'm alive, and well; let's leave it at that." 

"But Sam---" 

"Sherry, it's been me and my mother for a long time now, even before we moved out here. It doesn't take much before my mom worries about something and the last thing she needs, is to worry about potential bullies. I know what's best for her." 

"Well, if you're, like, sure," Sherry said slowly, standing up, "but I still think you should tell your mother. She's going to find out sooner or later anyway." 

Sam gave Sherry a confident smile. "There's no way she's going to find out. Who would tell her?" 

"I guess you're right." 

He hopped out of bed and sat down in front of his computer. "So, since you're here, Sherry, would you like to play my latest computer game?" 

"Okay." Sherry stood beside him as she watched him type. She smiled at the intelligent boy. For a computer nerd, she did find Sam to be very interesting, and a bit cute. "Sam, can you do _me_ a favor?"

Sam turned his attention away from the screen and back at her. "Yeah, Sher?"

"Don't ever worry me like that again. You could've died today!"

"Hey, Squid!!" the two heard a voice call before Sam could answer. "I know you're in there, so come to the window!" 

Sam rolled his chair over to the window to see Twister, and two people with him. 

"Hey guys, come on in!" 

"How about you come out!" the youngest of the group called. 

"Roderick?" 

"Who's there, Sam?" 

"It's Twister, Roderick, and Clio!" 

Sherry walked to the window and waved to the group. "Hi guys!!" She then pulled on Sam's arm. "Let's go! Get your shoes and let's go outside!" 

"Whoa, wait...hey..." Sam yelled as Sherry literally dragged him from out of his chair. 

A few moments later, Sam and Sherry emerged from the house. 

"Hey everyone," Sam could barely get out. Both Clio and Roderick hugged him tightly. 

"Oh, Sammy, are you okay? Twister told me what happened!" 

"That wasn't nice of him, bro," Roderick said. 

"I'm, fine," Sam managed to say, his voice muffled from the hugs. 

They let go of him. 

"So, who are your friends here, Sam?" 

"Oh, Sherry, this is my cousin, Clio, and the kid there is our friend, Roderick. His family and my family are good friends and have known each other for years." 

"I don't think I've ever met either of you," Sherry said. 

"They don't visit often," Sam explained, "and when they do, it's never for too long." 

Sherry smiled at Clio. "Reggie's told me, like, so much about you! It's nice to finally meet you! We can all, like, hang out together on the strand! Tomorrow night will be so perfect and Trish can hang too!" 

"I'd like that, Sherry was it?" 

"We're going to go shred Madtown, or either go surfing, Sam! Want to come, want to come!!" 

"Sure, Rod, I'd love to, but I should let mom know first. I could also get something for her while I'm out." Before going back inside, he noticed that Reggie wasn't there. "Where's Reg?" 

Twister rolled his eyes slightly. "With Lars." 

"Lars? Again?" Sherry and Sam asked in unison. 

Twister gave Sam and Sherry a look. "Again?" 

"Yeah, she like, spent her entire lunch period with him today." 

"_WHAT_!!!" 

"Yo, cuz, calm down," Clio told the younger boy. "What's wrong with Reggie hanging out with Lars?" 

"Nothing," he muttered as if trying to hold back his temper. Right now, he just felt jealous, and he couldn't explain why exactly. 

"So which will it be, surfing or Madtown?" Sam asked to get some of the attention from off of Twister. He already knew the answer was Madtown. 

"Madtown!!" Roderick cheered as a red convertible car drove out of the cul-de-sac. 

"And then Guava Shakes at the shack!" Sherry added. 

"And some Shack fries!" Sam almost drooled. 

"Come on, Maurice," Clio teased, causing Twister to cringe, "let's go get your gear, and that camera of yours, probably." 

"Quit calling me Twister...I mean Maurice!!!" 

Clio and the others laughed a bit. "Come on Roderick, let's go get our gear and Reggie." 

Sherry stayed with Sam, while Clio and Roderick went back to the Rodriguez home, Twister trotting behind. On their way home, Reggie was making her way across the street to Sam's. 

"Reggie," Clio called, "we're all going to hit Madtown! Wanna come with?" 

Reggie nodded distantly. What Lars had told her was still stuck on her mind. "I'll go get my blades." She turned and headed back to the empty Rocket home. 

She sighed as she strapped on her helmet, elbow, and kneepads. She wasn't in the mood to skateboard, so she stepped into her blades, and laced them up. 

When she went back outside, everyone waiting for her. Since Sherry was the only one without wheels, Sam offered for her to ride his bike, while he skateboarded. They would drop by her house and pick up her gear. 

Paula had also mentioned to Sam, as always, to be very careful, and to bring her some more of Tito's tea. 

"Okay, let's get going now, shall we," Reggie said uneasily. 

Clio gave her a look of skepticism while Twister looked over at her curiously (he wanted to know what business she had discussed with Lars) Clio, on the other hand, sensed that something was wrong with her friend. She hadn't tried to hug her once, nor did she act excited to see her. She didn't even call her "Lil' Miss Tutu." She normally would go on and on about things happening in her life, sometimes personal, or about everyone else. 

'Something is bothering her, but I guess I'll find out what that something is later.' 

With that, all of the kids started to make their way towards the pier. 

"Last one there is a shoobie!!" Roderick shouted as he skated ahead of the others. The other nodded to each other, anxious to keep up with the somewhat hyper boy, Twister a bit worried, and hoping that Roderick knew what he was doing...

* * *

I hope you all liked this chapter. It was very long; longer than I expected it to come to. I know you all are probably mad at me for not coming right out and revealing what Otto's punishment was, even though the main hint for this chapter was Lars, and his "phone call." Think about it, why would Lars get a phone call about Otto's punishment? I think that alone makes it obvious what Ray chose. Oh, and Ray pretty much said what it was in not so many words. As soon as one of you reviewers guess what the punishment is, I'll come right out and state it. :-p

Now, as for Roderick, he isn't my character. He's a character from mike2000's fics. To learn more about his character, take a look at his works here on ff.net. They're very good. Oh, and I must also thank him and Scott, once again, for helping me out with this story. I also promise not to take so long with the next chapter this time. I'll try to have it up by next weekend, if school doesn't get in the way. I do have to write another short story eventually. ^^


	21. Chapter 20: Crushed Egos & Crumbling Fai...

Well, here I am again and thanks for the reviews! Your reviews are allowing me to keep on writing! ^_^ 

Now this chapter was just written, pretty much. I didn't have any plans or anything originally. I Just wrote, and this is what I came up with. The children went over to Madtown, which was mentioned last chapter. I know, I'll shut up and let you all read. lol 

Getting right down to it, I could've broken this chapter up into two separate ones, but I decided against it, so you all have another long chapter to read. 

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with Rocket Power. Klasky-Csupo has that honor.

* * *

Chapter 20: Crushed Egos & Crumbling Faith… 

"Hurry up slowpokes!" Roderick shouted to the guys, making his way towards the entrance of Madtown Skate Park. "I want to learn some new moves!" 

"Quite an interesting kid there, eh?" Sherry laughed. "I can, like, barley keep up with him even with my blades on. He's like a bundle of energy." 

"Um, yeah, he's always like that," Twister replied dully. 'C'mon bro, don't over do it. I don't want anything bad to happen to you!' 

Since Roderick was ahead of the others, he ran in towards the half-pipe. There, he started to breathe a little unsteadily. Since he had pretty much ran all the way to the Pier from Sherry's - well, he did stay ahead of the others on his skateboard - he was a bit tired. 

'No, I can't let them think I'm weak! I just have to catch...my...breath, that's all.' 

"Hey, Roderick, wait up!" Clio called. "I don't remember him ever being this hyper before." 

"I guess he's just excited," Reggie answered dryly. 

By the time the kids made it to the half-pipe, Roderick had finally caught his breath, but he was still a bit tired. Due to his illness, his immune system was a bit low, and at times, his energy level would drop dramatically, but he never let that stop him. He didn't want anyone to think of him as frail, or a hindrance. 

He turned around and smiled at the older kids, dismissing the fact that he wouldn't have minded sitting down currently. "Man, you guys sure are slow. Are we going to skate or not?!" 

'I guess he's not as bad off as I thought, but I still wish he'd take it easy.' Twister took out his camcorder from his backpack and gave the boy and thumbs up. "Let's do this thing, bro!" 

Reggie wasn't in the mood to skate on the half-pipe and wandered off to the Blader Bowl. Twister, Sherry, and Sam remained with Roderick who was trying to do a perfect McTwist. 

The others were so into Roderick, and skating along with him on the half-pipe, they hadn't even noticed Reggie's taking off to be by herself; everyone, that is, except Clio. She noticed her skating off towards the bowl gloomily from the corner of her eye. Clio went after her. 

'Now I know something isn't right,' the girl thought as she looked for Reggie. It didn't take her long to find her. She had skated to the other side of the park through the tunnel and was sitting down on the ground by the fence, sighing. 

"Oh, there you are." 

She looked up. "Oh, hi there Clio." 

"Don't you 'oh hi there,' me, Reggie Rocket. What's wrong?" 

"Wrong?" She gave off a timid laugh. "There's nothing wrong. What makes you think something is wrong?" 

Clio shook her head. "Must I go over everything? I don't really feel like it. Now, Reggie, if there's something wrong, you should talk about it. I sensed something was wrong from the first time we encountered each other earlier." 

"It's...weird," Reggie managed to say as she hugged her knees up to her chest, "but I don't really want to talk about that." Her mind was stuck on Twister again, but then she would think of what Lars had told her about Otto. 

Clio smirked knowingly as she sat down beside her. "Oh, let me guess, boy trouble?" 

Reggie gasped slightly, and started to sweat a bit in embarrassment. Was she _that_ obvious? 

"Oh, so it _is_ a boy! You know, Reggie, you can tell me all about it. I'll always be there to listen, even if we don't physically talk to each other often. I understand that there are some things you can't really discuss over the phone or through email." 

Reggie didn't know what to tell her. How could she tell her about how she had been thinking about Twister constantly for the past couple of days? 

"Well, you're somewhat right about the boy trouble," Reggie finally decided on saying, "but not in the way you're thinking. It's my brother." 

"What's happening with him?" 

Reggie came right out and told her everything about Otto, about how he had been horrible towards Twister lately. Clio listened attentively, taking in everything that was being told to her currently. 

"Man, what's _his_ malfunction?" 

"That's the thing, nobody knows, but Sam thinks it maybe stress from tomorrow's competition, but we both know that he's not going to be in it now, due to that fight, and it still doesn't explain why he's being so mean to Twist." 

"Maybe you should try talking with him?" She wasn't sure how to respond. 

"No way! I give up on him!" Reggie said with forced anger. No matter how much she truly wanted to be, she just couldn't get mad at him. They were supposed to be on the same team. Otto's motto was always, "Rockets Rule!!" 

"Reggie, I think that's about the only thing I can suggest to you." Reggie looked down at the ground again and sighed. 

"I wish he and Twister would go back to being friends." She then inadvertently got a wistful look on her face as she stared over at a group of kids blading in the bowl. "Twister is too nice a person to get mad at. He's so sweet, kind, and caring. He has such a good heart too; how could anyone get mad at Twister?" 

Clio blinked. 'No, she couldn't like---no, no no! This is Twister! He doesn't have it all upstairs and is clueless 99% of the time. She couldn't _possibly_ like someone like him where there are more sophisticated boys around, like that Trent guy.' She decided not to even get on that subject. She went back to discussing Otto. She'd rather talk about Otto and try to help solve her problem dealing with that. 

While they were talking, they heard a certain energetic boy call, "Big sis! Cuz Clio! Where are you!" 

They looked towards the entrance of the Blade Bowl and saw Twister and the others skating through it. 

"There you guys are. You missed some epic footage of Roderick, you two!" Twister said while holding up his camcorder. "Even the _Squid_ nailed a couple of decent moves which included him doing a perfect tail grind!" 

"Yeah, Reg, he was totally awesome! I've never seen Sam get so much air!" 

Sam blushed slightly. "Th-thanks Sherry." 

"I wish Otto could've seen me!" Roderick breathed out hard. The skateboarding was a bit exhausting. 

Reggie stood up and gave the younger boy a gentle smile. "I'm sure Otto would've been proud." 

"Yeah! I can't wait to see him! I'm going to tell him all about it!!" The boy put out his hand. Everyone else nodded and put out their hands as well and did their "woogie" handshake. 

"Hey, I'm in the mood for some Guava shakes at the shack," Sherry said. 

"I could use a bite to eat too," Sam added while rubbing his stomach, "and I could _sure_ go for some fries and a chocolate shake." 

"Ooo, I'll get to see Tito and Ray! C'mon guys! Let's hurry and get there!" 

"Yo, Rod, chill," Twister told the boy while grabbing him, as if he was going to give him a few noogies. 

"How can I calm down when I'm having so much fun!" 

Everyone laughed at the boy's response; they all found it amusing, and somewhat cute. No matter what, Roderick always seemed to be in a good mood. It was like nothing could ever bring his mood down. He never seemed to get upset about anything. Reggie figured that during his sick years, he had to learn to cope with it, and as a result, tried his best to always remain cheery and optimistic about things. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
After it was decided, the group walked - even Roderick took his time - up the ramp and headed to the Shore Shack. It was so-so, the crowd. 

"Let's all sit together," Roderick suggested. 

"We don't have much of a choice," Sherry told the boy. "We can't all sit at the counter." 

There were two free tables left in the whole beachside restaurant. 

"Hmm, there's only four chairs to a table, so maybe we can take two chairs from the other vacant table, and then we'd have six," Roderick suggested. 

"I'm cool with that, how about you guys?" Sherry asked. 

Everyone else nodded in agreement. While they were discussing, over at the counter, Tito stood. He saw a familiar pair of black, square-framed glasses, on a certain husky boy with blonde hair. He ran from behind the counter to the boy. 

"Sammy!!" he called. 

"Huh, Tito?" 

He hugged him tightly, forcing the boy to stand, and his chair to topple over. "Sam; lil' cuz, are you all right?" 

"Y-eah, I'm fine--Tito," Sam said slowly, growing a bit embarrassed from the customers watching them. 

"Oh, I'm so glad that you are," Tito said in relief after letting him go. He would've continued on, but he noticed Sam and the others had company. 

Ray, at the moment, was in the back. He walked out front and saw Tito with the kids. 

"Hey kids," Ray called from behind the counter. He then noticed the two extra kids with them. Tito did too. 

"Wow, Clio, Roderick! Alooooooooha!!" He gave them a big hug. " When did _you_ get here?!" 

"Just this afternoon, Uncle Tito!" 

Tito smiled proudly. "Uncle Tito, I like the sound of that." 

Roderick gave him a toothy grin. Twister, Lars, Reggie, Otto, Sam, Tito, and Ray were like family to him. He seemed to have a name from everyone. Twister, Lars, Otto, and Sam were like brothers to him, so he referred to them as such. Reggie was like a sisterly figure to him, so he referred to her as sis, he addressed Clio as "Cuz Clio," and Ray and Tito as "uncle." At times, he would even refer to Raul and Sandy as "Uncle Raul" and "Aunt Sandy."

"Have a seat kids," Tito told them. "You guys decide on what you want to eat." He then whispered to them, "It's on the house." 

"Thanks Tito!" everyone told him. 

"Fuh-ree, my favorite flavor of everything," Twister grinned. 

Tito went back behind the counter with Ray while the kids discussed what they could eat for dinner. Sam was relieved when Tito left. He hated a lot of attention drawn to himself. 

After they decided - they all decided on burgers and fries, even Reggie, - the group sat and talked about everything and anything they could think of. Most of the time, Roderick would go into idolizing Otto mode, and talk about him constantly and how he would love to learn all of his tricks, especially surfing wise and how he couldn't wait to see him for the competition. 

This made Reggie, Twister, and Clio feel a bit uncomfortable. Twister wasn't in the mood to hear about Otto, and both Reggie and Clio knew of how the Principal Healey had kicked Otto out of the surfing competition for that next day. Neither one could break that news to Roderick. Reggie didn't even really feel like mentioning it to Sam and Twister as of the moment. 

"...oh, you should've _seen_ Sam that time in gym," Sherry said between laughs while sipping on her Guava shake, "it was so hilarious! We were playing soccer and Sam was our goalie, of course, and then---" 

Everyone listened to Sherry's story while a hint of magenta filled the husky boy's cheeks. He didn't want to hear another story about how he embarrassed himself in a sport. Luckily, that attention wouldn't be on him for long. 

They heard someone yell from in front of the Shore Shack. "WHERE IS HE! WHERE THE _HELL_ IS HE!!" 

Everyone who was in earshot range could hear the person yell, even those skating Madtown, those standing at the entrance of the amusement park or those lounging around on the beach. The voice just seemed to radiate the sky. To Sam, he was positive that the yell had broken the sound barrier, if it hadn't already been broken by Ocean Shores' own temper-tantrum brat, *Mackenzie Duncan. 

The customers all looked towards a heaving, somewhat short, teenage boy. He wore sunglasses with dark green lenses, and his hair was thick and dreaded. 

"Otto," Reggie gasped. At the entrance of the Shore Shack stood Otto, fuming mad and his skateboard in hand. 

Roderick saw the boy but couldn't believe what he was seeing. He had never seen his "hero" so angry before. "Otto? Bro?" 

Otto stormed into the restaurant, not caring if he was making a scene or not. 

"RAYMUNDO!" 

Ray frowned. 'I guess they told him.' 

Tito looked somewhat worried, especially since the boy looked as if he could do something quite rash at the moment. He walked up to Otto and held him by his shoulders. "Calm down, 'lil cuz. You should talk and---" 

Otto jerked his shoulders back away from the chubby Hawaiian. "Leave me alone, right now, Tito! I have no beef with you!" He glared at the man behind the counter who was remaining quiet. He knew he would have to face Otto, but he didn't want to face him this soon. 

Ray sighed and walked from behind the counter. He spoke to his irate son in a hushed manner. "Let's go in the back and talk about this in a reasonable, logical manner, son." 

"NO!" Otto shouted. "So it _was_ your fault! How _dare_ you tell Healey to drop me! You know how important this was to me! Coach Fletcher told me this afternoon what _you_ decided." 

"Otto, please," Ray said, a sad expression etched on his middle-aged face, "I didn't want to, but I had to. I'm proud of you for what you did for Sam, but for actions come consequences. I couldn't allow you to get suspended from school. You would've flunked if I had chosen suspension." 

"Look, Ray_mun_do, I don't give a sh--damn!! This competition meant the world to me! I've been practicing non_stop_ for this competition, and now because of you, I've wasted my time! What kind of a father are you, anyway!" 

Ray placed a hand on his shoulder. Otto shook it off roughly. 

"Don't _touch_ me! You don't care about me! You don't want to see me succeed! You don't want me to become a pro surfer!" Otto snapped at him. "You need to stay the hell out of my life!" 

There was no point in trying to reason with Otto. His temper was so bad right now, that logic wouldn't have sunk into that thick skull of his. 

"There were going to be scouts there! Lots of them as well as those with surf magazines and some real pro surfers like the Rhino and Luke Egan and-and Joel Parkinson! I had a chance to achieve one of my life-long dreams, and then _you_ had to go mess it up by siding with that old bastard Healey!" 

"Now look here, Otto," Ray argued back firmly, almost regrettably since he understood what the boy was probably going through, but as a responsible parent, he knew he couldn't let Otto continue on in such a fashion, "I will _not_ have you speak that way to me or in front of the customers! This is a family-themed establishment and you _will_ watch your tone and language when here! I am your father, and therefore, in charge! You have no _right_ talking to me like that, and until you act like an adult, and think things through, then I will listen to what you have to say, now go and we'll talk later in a more dignified, civilized manner!" 

Otto glared at Raymundo again. The customers and his friends were still staring at him, wondering what was going to happen next. Otto looked like he was about to hit Ray, but he turned away, muttered some obscenities and walked out heatedly. 

"You all may continue with your meals," Ray announced uneasily while his mind wandered. 

After he walked out, the customers all murmured amongst themselves over the scene Otto had just made. 

"O-man isn't going to be surfing tomorrow?" Twister blinked. 

"Oh man, he must be _totally_ tweaked!" Sam said. 

"Yeah, very," Sherry responded sadly. "He's been working very hard for that competition too since it's such an important one." 

"I can't believe dad let Otto say those things. Otto is going to get grounded for the rest of the year after what he's said!" Reggie was expecting Otto to be angry, but not angry enough to come up to the Shore Shack and argue with Ray right in public. "I had a feeling he was going to take that news bad but not like this." 

"Wait, you _knew_ about this?!" Twister asked in surprise. 

"We both did," Clio confessed. 

"How do _you_ know about it?" 

"Your brother," Clio answered. 

"Lars? How did he find out?" 

Before anyone could answer, Sherry spoke up. "Wait, if Otto is out of the competition, that means Ocean Shores will have to forfeit!" she informed them. "We're supposed to have three representatives, with two we'll be disqualified!" 

"Who do you think is probably going to replace him?" Reggie queried knowingly. 

The quietest one of their current group was Roderick. He was still in a bit of shock over seeing Otto act in such a way. He had never seen Otto so mad for as long as he'd known him. He had also tuned the others' conversation out. 

He stood up gloomily. "I think I'm ready to go home." 

"Are you sure, dude?" Twister asked. "You didn't finish your chocolate shake." 

He nodded. "I'm sure, bro. I'm a little tired and I could use a small rest." 

"I'm ready to go too," Clio abruptly stated. She could tell that Rod was feeling a bit awkward after witnessing such a thing. 

Everyone else agreed, and left the restaurant. Everyone's minds were so preoccupied, that Sam even forgot to ask Tito for the Lemon Coconut tea that his mother had requested. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

The walk home was silent, Otto's outburst still fresh in their minds. Roderick still couldn't believe what he had seen as he kept seeing the scene replaying in his mind. Otto showed such anger and malice. His idol, no, _hero_, had acted disrespectful towards his own father and seemed to show pure hatred towards him. 

Roderick wasn't as enthusiastic or cheery as he was earlier. He was rather down. Otto was upset, which upset him. He had to do something for him, but he didn't know what that something could be. He really wanted to talk with Otto, maybe get him to act like his usual self, but he wasn't sure if that would've been a good idea. 

The usually hyper boy wasn't the only one who had Otto on his mind; Sam was also a bit distraught over the situation. He knew of how Otto was going to miss out on the competition due fighting Josh for him. He had this feeling that Otto was going to end up hating him all over again, or not speak to him for a good while. 

'This is all my fault,' Sam speculated sullenly in thought. 'If it wasn't for me, Otto would've never fought Josh and he wouldn't have gotten cut from the competition tomorrow.' He shook some. 'I hope he doesn't whomp me for that!' 

"So, I guess I'll head on home," Sherry said, breaking the uneasy silence. They had finally made it to her block. "Sam, do you want to walk with me since you left your bike at my house?" 

"Oh yeah, sure. I can walk you home," Sam offered. He wasn't in the mood to go home anyway. He had this strange feeling that his mother knew about his almost fight earlier, or was about to find out about it. 

"I'll see you guys later, and it was nice meeting you Clio, Roderick." She gave the two of them a smile as her dangling hoop earrings shimmered from the setting sun's rays hitting them. 

"Yes, same here Sherry. I'm only sorry we didn't talk more," Clio told her. 

"I can't wait to see you again!" Roderick nodded to her. 

"Oh, and Reg, I'll call you later on tonight! We have to make plans for tomorrow and when we're going to leave in the morning to head over to Spray Beach." 

"Alright Sherry, I'll see you later," Reggie responded. 

With that, Sherry and Sam took off down the street, while the others continued on. 

Twister shoved his hands into his pockets. "I still can't believe Otto won't be surfing tomorrow." 

"Are you still going to go?" Roderick quietly asked. 

"I don't have a choice. I have to film it." 

"And I have to do interviews for my 'Zine and our school's paper." 

A short while later, the group finally made back to the cul-de-sac. Twister and Roderick headed in, but before Clio and Reggie could split and go their separate ways, Reggie forced on a playful smile. 

"Clio, I know you probably don't want to stay with a bunch of guys. Why don't you stay over tonight, then we can meet up with Sherry and Trish and can head out to Spray Beach." 

"Are you sure it'll be okay?" 

"I'm sure it'll be fine." She lowered her head some and mumbled, "Besides, I could use somebody around now." 

Clio hugged her. "I understand." She let her go. "If you're sure it'll be okay to stay over, then I'll stay over. I thought you'd never ask!" She winked to her. "We'll be able to get a bit of girl talk in that way." 

Reggie smiled weakly, "Yeah." 

"You have a lot of spilling to do, _tom_boy." 

Reggie put her hand on her hip. "You better tell me more about your trip to Hawaii and why you _really_ chose to go there this year, 'lil Miss Tutu." 

Both laughed at the moment. This was just what Reggie needed, someone else to talk to and Clio was perfect. She _did_ have Trish, Sherry, Sam, Twister, and Trent, but sometimes she wanted to just talk "girl stuff," and that excluded Sam, Twister, and Trent. Sherry and Trish were good friends, but sometimes she just didn't want to talk with them. Sherry would get into gossiping during their conversations, and Trish would get into talking about sports. 

Clio put an arm around Reggie's shoulder, and the two walked to the Rodriguez home to tell Raul and Sandy about her staying over at the Rocket home...  
******  
Well, there you go. Hope that was written out okay and I hope Otto was convincing. The more I write this, the more anxious I am to write the sequel to this fic, even though I haven't finished this one yet. lol 

Now, in reference to the "Mackenzie Duncan," thing...that was the only last name I could come up with for her. It's going to be somewhat relevant since I actually plan on having her as a main character in the sequel to this particular fic. ^_^

Oh, something else I must say that has nothing to do with this story what-so-ever. :-p I entered a Digimon fanfiction contest. Three of my Digimon fanfics were entered, and two out of the three won!! 

My fic, Night of the Living Piemon!, won for Best Comedy, and my fic, Koushirou's Search!, won for best Drama. 

Ignore the comedy for right now, let me mention the drama. That title is a play on words, somewhat. Koushirou, aka Izzy to some of you, is in search of his biological parents. 

For those who have seen the show, we all know that Koushirou's parents died in a car crash, and his adoptive parents did inform him of this towards the end of the first season, even though Koushirou already knew he was adopted before they confronted him about it, but the catch for this story is that the conversation never occurred, which means he still doesn't know what happened to them or why he was put up for adoption in the first place. 

For those of you who have never seen the show, I'm sure you're wondering how he knew he was adopted if his adoptive parents didn't tell him. Well, when he was younger, he overheard them talking and mentioning his being adopted. After that incident, his character changed dramatically. Well, somewhat. He started to bury himself into the computer, and got this inferiority complex. Since he wasn't a "true Izumi," he always put himself below others, hence his very polite speech and way of talking and addressing others. He would also isolate himself from others since he didn't feel he was worthy enough to hang around them. I sorta explain that in the fic too, why his character was the way that it was for the show. 

So, if anyone is in the mood for a drama fic, take a look at that one, even if you're not into Digimon. As a matter of fact, the Digimon don't even appear for it - I do give a reason for it - just the human characters. lol Just think of it as an original short story instead of a fanfiction. 

Okay, I shall stop promoting myself now. ^^


	22. Chapter 21: Girl Talk

Thanks a lot for the reviews everyone, once again. ^_^ Let me tell you this much, if I spoke to my mother or father the way I had Otto speak to Ray - even at the age I am now - just like what one of you said, I wouldn't have lived to see the light of day either, nor would I see the dark of night. lol 

I do apologize for taking such a while to upload this. Blame my English class. I had to do a load of make up work I didn't even know I had, and I was sick when I originally started this chapter. 

This chapter was written in the same fashion as the same chapter. I didn't really plan it, and I just typed whatever came to me. Last chapter was pretty much a filler chapter, as this one is. Either way, I hope you all enjoy it just like those new eps of RP that aired on Nick last week. 

My absolute favorite was Falsely Alarmed. Why you all ask? Because Twister knew something Otto didn't. He warned him not to pull the alarm, and even told him not to, but Otto did it anyway. I also liked the fact it was so Lars oriented too. There aren't too many eps dealing with him. I also loved the ep, Twist of Fate. Twister so rules!! And Sammy's Fortune was hilarious for me too. Glad they stopped him before he attempted to jump the Blader Bowl. lol 

Enough of that, now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with Rocket Power. Klasky-Csupo has that honor.

* * *

Chapter 21: Girl Talk...

Just as Sam presumed, his mother was on his case time he walked in the front door of their home. He could only sigh and ask, "Who told?" Trent and Trish had come by to check up on Sam and were surprised to find he had left with Sherry and the others. They didn't get into detail about what had happened at school and left Mrs. Dullard at ease. 

The next person to visit was Mrs. Stimpleton. She hugged Paula as she started to go on and on about Sam. The woman was so excited, that Paula didn't catch everything she said. Before she could comment, her phone rung. 

The one who told what happened was Tito. After talking with Raymundo for a while, he called up Paula to see how she was doing, and if Sam had gotten back okay. He also started asking a bunch of other questions, concerned over Sam's health. After hearing this, Paula started to panic some. She wanted Sam to come home right at that moment, even though she didn't know where he was currently. 

She paced back and forth, her nerves shot, Mrs. Stimpleton trying her best to calm her after the phone call. She was so relieved when Sam finally returned home, hugging him even tighter than what Tito had, Mrs. Stimpleton doing the same, pretty much. She then left. 

After Sam assured his mom that he was fine, she finally stopped grilling him, but insisted on meeting with Josh's parents to make sure justice was served. The boy groaned; there was no changing his mother. 

Sam sat down in front of his computer as his thoughts drifted to all that happened after leaving the Shore Shack. 

While walking home with Sherry, he felt slightly awkward and a bit nervous. It wasn't often that he was alone with the girl. He put his discomfited feelings aside as Sherry started to talk about Otto. She noticed the uneasiness in Sam's voice whenever he would respond to her. After asking what was wrong, he finally told her what was on his mind, about how he felt that Otto would now hold ill feelings towards him. 

"This is nowhere _near_ your fault!" Sam remembered Sherry telling him as they finally made it to her house. "It was that jerk, Josh's fault! Otto just stood up for you because you're his bro! He, like, chose to do that; you didn't put a gun to his head making him do it. He shouldn't be mad at you for any reason, and if he does get mad at you," she flexed her muscles and winked to Sam, "_I'll_ take care of him." 

Sam smiled some after recalling that. Sherry really was good for a pep talk. Even though the boy knew she was right, he still couldn't help but feel a bit responsible. Otto lost out on something that meant a lot to him. Would he truly be sympathetic towards the husky blonde from Hutchinson?   
*****  
Mr. & Mrs. Rodriguez both gave Clio permission to stay over but insisted on Reggie's asking Ray first. The girl didn't really want to bother her father for something so trivial, but she knew better than to lie to the Rodriguezes. 

She reluctantly called Ray, who was still at the Shack, and asked if Clio could stay the night. Company was the last thing he wanted, but he also figured that Reggie shouldn't suffer and miss out on her fun just because of her brother's bad attitude. 

After Ray gave the okay, the two girls hurried to gather Clio's things, and made their way across the street to the Rocket home - it was empty when they arrived - but before leaving, Reggie told Twister to be ready by 10:30 sharp so that they could all head over to Spray Beach for the Surf Competition and get there by 11. Even though the competition didn't start until noon, both Twister and Reggie had to be there early. Sam already knew about it, and was planning to leave with Twister and Reggie. Trish and Trent were going to meet them there since they _were_ contestants. The problem was getting a ride there since they did have to go earlier than everyone else. 

Reggie _did_ have her license, as did Sherry, but neither of them owned their own vehicle. There was a chance that Sherry might be able to drive her parents' 2000 Nissan Minivan, but she hated the idea of driving it. She preferred her older brother 1997 Jeep Wrangler. It was so much more stylish to the teen. If neither of them could get a ride there, they'd have to resort to public transportation, mainly, the city bus. 

After settling in, Clio laid down on Reggie's bed. 

"Oye, this is so comfortable," the girl exclaimed while staring up at the ceiling. She glanced over at Reggie who was sitting at the foot of her bed, staring over at her phone, anxiously awaiting it to ring. "Who are you waiting for a call from?" 

Startled, Reggie muttered, "Sherry." 

"Oh," the girl responded back plainly, glancing back up at the ceiling. "You're hoping she'll give you a ride to Spray Beach tomorrow so we won't have to take the bus?" 

She nodded. "She always calls me time she gets home. She should've called by now." 

Clio sat up. "Don't worry about it. She'll call when she gets the chance, now let's you and I talk." 

Reggie sighed and sat on her bed indian-style so that she could face Clio. "What do we talk about?" 

"What do _you_ want to talk about?" She decided to ask that so she wouldn't seem too forward. She wanted to know about her boy situation. 'Please don't say Otto,' she inwardly pleaded. 

Reggie stared down and opened her mouth slightly. It's like she wanted to tell everything, but something was holding her back. 

"Come on, tomboy, spill it!" 

Reggie looked up and smirked a bit. Clio laughed. "Well, I-I don't know what's wrong with me." 

"Wrong with you? Is it bad?" Clio gave her a suspicious look. "You haven't lost it already, have you?" 

Reggie's eyes went wide as she vigorously shook her head. "No way!! I don't even have a boyfriend, and if I had one, I would've emailed you about it!" 

"That's good," Clio breathed out in relief. "The last thing I want is one of my best friends going through something so serious." 

"You won't have to worry about that for a _long_ time. I prefer to wait until marriage anyway." 

"Nice nice," Clio seemed a bit anxious, "but what's wrong with you?! Is it a boy?" 

Reggie turned her head away from Clio as a small hint of red filled her cheeks. "Well, sort of..." The girl debated with her mind. Should she explain to her friend of how she has a difficult time getting Twister off of her mind? 

"Reggie?" 

"Oh, sorry," she apologized hastily. "Well, what does it mean when a boy is constantly on your mind and for some unusual reason, you want to be near him constantly or what him to hold you?" 

Clio smiled knowingly. "Ooo, sounds like _some_body's been bitten by the love bug!" 

"Love?" 

"You have a crush on some boy, don't you?" Reggie didn't respond. She didn't have to. Her silence was the only answer Clio needed. "C'mon, Reg, who's the boy? No, wait; don't tell me! I bet it's Trent!" 

"No, not him. I see him as a good friend; that's about it." 

"_What_!?! He's cute, he's athletic, and he has a hot accent; what's there _not_ to like about him!!" Clio asked in disbelief. 

"What? He's just a friend, Clio." 

"If you're not talking about Trent, whom are you talking about then?" 

"Wait, you really think that I have a crush on a boy?" 

"Obviously, now _who_ is he?!?" the girl demanded. 

She stood up quickly. She didn't want to tell Clio that she _may_ be getting a thing for her good friend's, younger cousin; her brother's best bro. 

Clio gave the girl a dejected look. "It's Maurice, isn't it?" 

Reggie gasped slightly, and her heart started to beat erratically. "Tw-twister," she asked nervously, "why would you think _him_ of all people." She gave off an uneasy laugh as she stood in front of her dresser, messing with the contents on top of it, to give off the impression that everything was fine. "Of course it's not h-him. Don't be ridiculous." 

Clio stood up and walked over towards Reggie, her arms crossed and an, "I'm not buying that," look on her face. 

"It's not Twister!" Reggie insisted walking away from Clio to her sliding glass door, staring out of it towards the sky. 

"It is, Maurice, Reggie. You're not fooling me. You're acting way too nervous and trying too hard to act normal." 

Reggie sighed. She couldn't lie and told her everything that's happened and how she couldn't get Twister off of her mind lately. She didn't mention the almost kiss they had, but she did mention the hug and how she wouldn't have minded hugging him again. 

Clio was somewhat shocked. 'I don't get it. Why him?!' 

"What do I do?" 

Clio searched for the right words to say, but could only come up with, "Um, I guess you could, um---" 

Fortunately, the phone rang. Reggie rushed to answer it. On the other end was Twister. 

"Oh, hi Twist." 

"Hey, I was just going to tell you that you don't have to worry about getting a ride for me to Spray beach tomorrow, or Roderick. He can ride with me and my bro." 

"_Lars_?!?" 

"Yeah, he offered to drive us all since he's going...to replace Otto." Those last words hurt Twister. He was secretly glad for his brother, but he still felt bad that Otto wasn't going to surf, no matter how mad at him he was. It just didn't seem right or fair. Otto had finally done something unselfish, and it ends up costing him the one thing that meant everything to the boy. 

"Your mom's not making him?" 

"No. I'm just as surprised. He never likes to drive me anywhere. Whenever I ask, he gives me a look like I'm crazy, and I leave before he finds some reason to whomp me. I bet he's only doing it to make himself look good in front of Rod." 

"Okay Twist. So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow at the beach." 

"Yeah, guess so Reg. I'll talk to you later." 

"Was that my cousin?" 

"Yeah, we're the only ones who need a ride to Spray Beach now." 

"Hey, why don't we eat ourselves some ice cream and watch a few movies?" 

Reggie smiled and nodded. She was glad Clio wasn't going to get into the "Twister issue," anymore. Besides, she had some questions of her own. "Okay, Lil' Miss Tutu, and when we do, _you_ have to spill about Keoni!"   
*****  
Later that night... 

Rod laid wide awake; staring at the ceiling of Twister's dark, and surprisingly, neat room. Mrs. Rodriguez had ordered Twister to clean it up a couple of nights earlier, even though boy didn't know why his mom was so adamant on his doing so. He now knew why. Roderick's staying over night in his room. 

Mrs. Rodriguez, after Twister left for school that morning had put a roll-away bed in Twister's room so that Rod may sleep there. Clio would've had the guest room if she had stayed over night. 

Rod was still in deep thought over Otto. He had to help his bro out, but how? He turned over and pounded his pillow so that he could get more comfortable. The pillow was much too lumpy for him. 

"Yo, Rod, are you okay?" Twister asked from his bed. "It's kinda late and we have to get up early in the morning." 

"I'm fine," Rod insisted. 

"Doesn't sound like it, bro. What's wrong?" 

Rod sighed. "It's Otto. I've just never seen him that mad before." 

"You and me both," Twister murmured. 

"We have to cheer him up!" Roderick said in determination, sitting up. 

"I can't think of anything we could do to cheer Rocket Boy up," Twister stated dully. 

"We should at least try!" he insisted. "He's our bro." 

Twister turned his back to Roderick to get himself more comfortable. "Yeah, our bro," he muttered. 

"Twister?" 

"Come on, Rod, let's just get some sleep and worry about Otto in the morning." 

Roderick realized that he wasn't getting anyplace and that if he was going to do anything about Otto that it was up to him. There was no way he was going to spend his time there in Ocean Shores and not hang out with Otto...


	23. Chapter 22: Roderick's Wise Advice & Ott...

Fast update this week, huh? Well, I hope you enjoy this particular chapter. It is all Otto and Roderick based. Roderick gets his plan into action. ^_^ 

Hmm, one thing I forgot to say in the last update. The date I updated before the last one was March 10. And when I originally started this fic, it was October 6. I know you all are wondering what the significance of those dates is. Well, for me, they are important dates. March 10 was the tenth birthday of my younger cousin - the one I gave Reggie's Secret Admirer to and the one that started me watching Rocket Power in general - and October 6 is my birthday. Yay, now you have some irrelevant info! lol 

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with Rocket Power. Klasky-Csupo has that honor. 

* * *

Chapter 22: Roderick's Wise Advice & Otto's Realization! 

It was now the next morning, the day of the anxiously awaited surf competition. It took Sherry a while, but she did call her the previous night and explained that she could drive 'em to Spray Beach with no problems at all. Reggie was glad of this. That meant she wouldn't have to rely on the bus. After the phone message, she sent an Instant Message to Sam who said he'd meet them in the morning. 

She and Clio talked quite a bit that past night and didn't watch much television. When they got sleepy, they headed back up to Reggie's room. After Clio was fast asleep, Reggie ran to the bathroom to get into her bedclothes and such. She was just as wiped as Clio was. 

After she had brushed her teeth, she grabbed her sleeping bag. She offered the bed to Clio since she was the guest. 

She stayed awake a good while before finally drifting off, but she thought she heard someone talking in the background. It sounded like both Ray and Otto, but she was never too sure since she nodded right off. 

"This is going to be so much fun!" Clio exclaimed as she brushed her hair. "I can't wait to see how well your friends can surf, Reggie." 

"Yeah, neither can I," the girl replied sullenly. "Um, Clio, would you like something for breakfast?" 

"No thanks. I'll get something on the way if it's okay with Sherry. When'd she say she was getting here?" 

"I told her to get here no later than 10:30." 

'Bossy,' Clio thought as she brushed her hair for the hundredth time. "Well then, we better hurry up. It's 10:00 now." 

Reggie left her room to head downstairs. She saw that the door to Otto's room was open, which clearly meant that he wasn't in it. She was almost hoping to bump into him, just to say, "Sorry you won't be surfing today," or, "What Healey did wasn't fair!" 

She went into the kitchen to see that Otto had eaten and left. A bowl of cereal it seemed. She also saw a note left for her. It was from Ray telling her that he'll see her at Spray Beach later on that afternoon, and to probably avoid Otto since he was still a bit peeved. It also said that she and Clio could help them selves to whatever they wanted. 

"Wow, everyone's gone." 

There was a knock on the front door. Reggie rushed to it. 

"Oh, hey Sam," Reggie greeted. "You're early." 

"Hi Reggie. It's better to be early than late I always say." He walked in. "Ready to go?" 

"Not yet. Clio's upstairs, and Sher isn't here yet." 

"Before coming over, I saw Roderick sitting outside on the steps leading up to Twist's and I talked to him for a while." 

"Yeah, he was going to ride with Lars and Twister." 

"That's just the thing, Lars and Twister left a long time ago, according to Roderick." 

"They _ditched_ him!?!" Reggie was about ready to give both Lars and Twister a piece of her mind if that was the case. 

"No, Roderick just chose not to go with them and to leave later with Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez." 

"Oh, well if that's all, I guess it's okay. Even Lars couldn't be that cold and heartless by leaving him behind. He's like a whole different person when Roderick's around." 

Sam laughed. "Yeah, I noticed. He actually seems human." 

They heard a horn honk. Reggie opened the front door. "Hey, it's Sherry and she's early!" 

"Whoa, she's driving her brother's jeep!" 

They saw Sherry waving to them. "Hey girlfriend," she called to Reggie. "Kent let me borrow it, and I can't _wait_ to tell you the rest of the news!" 

Right at that moment, Clio made her way downstairs, her hair finally to her satisfaction, as well as her outfit. A spaghetti-strapped pink shirt and a pair of short, white shorts along with a pair of white sandals. Reggie was wearing sneakers, a white, plain t-shirt, and a pair of blue jeans. And, as always, she had her shades propped on the top of her head to keep her hair from out of her face. 

"Come on, let's make dust!" Sherry called. 

"Wow, that jeep looks..._sweet_!" Clio exclaimed while exiting the house with Sam. 

"This is going to be awesome!" Reggie smiled. 

Reggie picked up her pen and writing pad, which was right by the door, and locked up. She then hopped into the back seat with Sam. Clio took the front passenger side. 

"Hey, is that Roderick?" Sherry asked, spotting the small boy by the Rodriguez house. 

"Yeah, but he said he was going to come later along with Twister's parents," Sam explained. 

"Hey Roderick! A_lo_ha!" Clio called while waving. 

He waved back and smiled weakly to them. 

"We'll see you at Spray Beach, bro," Reggie said, also waving. "Are you sure you don't want to ride with us? We have some room in the back here." 

"No, that's okay!!" Roderick shouted back. "I already promised Aunt Sandy and Uncle Raul that I'll ride with them. I'll see you guys there!" 

With that, Sherry put the vehicle into gear, the music blasting out of the cd player, and pulled out of the cul-de-sac, making their way towards Spray Beach while Sherry explained to the three teens how she had managed to drive the jeep for the day. 

As soon as they were out of sight, Roderick put on his helmet and pads, and made his way over to the Rocket place, the garage to be exact. Roderick had awakened way before Lars and Twister, so while trying to find something to do at such an early hour, he obliviously looked out the window of Twister's bedroom while pacing around. What he saw was a certain thick-haired boy making his way to the garage. He opened the door, and closed it up right behind him. 

If the boy's theory was correct, Otto was avoiding everyone and was going to come out after he knew everyone had left for Spray Beach. He was going to be right there, waiting for him. 

Roderick had his skateboard under his right arm, just in case Otto tried to skate off. At least he'd be able to catch him that way. About five minutes after he'd arrived, the garage door slowly opened. 

Otto was planning on skating the half-pipe, to help relieve him of stress. He was stressed out from everything, especially Ray's decision to keep him from surfing. When the door was completely open, he was shocked to see someone standing there. 

"Whoa! Roderick?" 

"Hi O-man!" the boy responded somewhat cheerily. "What's up!" 

Otto frowned. He really didn't feel like being bothered at the moment, even if it _was_ one of his biggest fans. 

He walked past him and climbed up the half-pipe, his skateboard in his hand. He skated gracefully, Roderick watching in awe. Oh how he wished he could skateboard like Otto. He never seemed to mess up, even when doing the most difficult of tricks. 

"Otto, can I skate with you?" 

"I guess," he muttered. 

"Ooo, can you show me some tricks? I've been practicing, and I have a new board too!" He held it up for Otto to see. Otto glanced at the boy as he stopped at the top, and shrugged. 

"A Variflex, nice." 

Roderick climbed up onto the half-pipe and started to skate it alongside Otto who had started up again. Even though Otto would've preferred to be by himself, he couldn't help but show off to Roderick, and give him some pointers while at it. 

"Hey, wanna head over to Madtown or something?" Otto offered in a semi-friendly fashion. 

"¡Sí, vale, O-man!" [Yeah, sure, O-man!] 

Roderick gave him a thumbs-up and nodded. Otto figured that he meant, "Yes." 

"But, first, can we talk for a little bit?" 

Otto didn't say anything as he climbed back up onto the half-pipe. Roderick stood on the ground and stared up at him. He knew that Raul and Sandy would be leaving soon, so he didn't want to be noticed when they drove by. He had done something a bit dishonest. He lied to the entire Rodriguez family. He told Lars and Twister that he was going to ride with Raul and Sandy, and he told them that he was leaving with Lars and Twister. 

Just as he had predicted, Raul and Sandy were making their way to their car. Both were speaking to one another about what had happened, and how they felt bad for Otto, but was also glad that Lars was in the contest and how he'd finally gone a whole year without doing something that would get him into a lot of trouble. Raul even mentioned something about how Lars was finally growing up and how letting him get his own car helped aid to that. 

Of course this was all said in Spanish, and Rod could only catch a bit of what they were saying due to the distance. Otto wasn't paying attention and was concentrating more on his skate tricks. 

A short while later, Otto and Roderick heard the loud voice of a certain, balding neighbor with a bad comb-over. It was Merv Stimpleton and he was arguing with his wife, Violet, about how watching a surf competition was a waste of his time, and how he had more important things to do than "watching a bunch of _hoo_ligans making fools of themselves in the water." 

"Oh Merv," the two heard Mrs. Stimpleton say while putting on her sunglasses, "the beach'll do you some good. And after the competition, there's going to be a celebration at the Shore Shack." 

"That food is too dangerous to eat!" Merv complained. "Who _knows_ what goes on in that beach-infested wasteland!" 

"Oh quit all that now," Violet told him as she dragged him to the passenger side of the car, opening the door. "Now you behave, Merv, while we're there and you know the food at the Shack is y-u-m-m-y!" She giggled giddly. 

He grumbled as Mrs. Stimpleton pushed him into the car. She then hopped behind the wheel and drove out of the cul-de-sac. About five minutes later, Mrs. Dullard - wearing a shawl - hopped into her car and drove out of the cul-de-sac. She too wanted to see the surf competition, even if she wasn't in perfect health, currently, but her cold was definitely better than what it was thanks to the tea Tito had given her. 

After Paula had driven off, Roderick climbed back up onto the half-pipe with Otto. He took a seat. Being seated really made Otto look as if he was getting more air. 

"So, um, can we talk now Otto?" 

"No one's stopping you," he said as he skated back down the pipe. 

"Well, um, I'm sorry you got kicked out of the contest," the boy blurted out. 

Otto seemed to stop in mid-air after hearing him say that. His concentration broken, he ended up losing his grip on the board, and sliding down the smooth-surfaced structure, his skateboard rolling a slight ways away from him. 

Roderick hurried down to him and helped Otto up. 

"Otto!! ¡¿Estás bien?! [Are you okay/all right?!]" the boy asked in concern. "That was one major fall!" 

"Why'd you have to bring _that_ up!" Otto snapped at the younger boy. 

"I-I'm sorry Otto. I didn't mean to get you mad." 

"Stupid Healey, stupid Raymundo, idiot Josh for buggin' the Squid, messing me up...ruining my dreams..." 

Roderick noticed that Otto was now staring blankly out into space, just muttering away. He didn't want to interrupt Otto and let him continue to talk. 

One thing caught Roderick off guard, though, and it caught Otto off guard as well. He had mentioned---his mother. Without his realizing it, Otto seemed to choke up a bit, and had said, "I let you down, mom." 

"¿Tu madre?" [Your mother?] 

Otto broke out of his trance and looked down to see Roderick standing there. "You said something about your mother?" he asked curiously, an intriguing look in his big, brown eyes. 

"I didn't say anything." Otto turned away from Roderick. For some reason, he felt like crying. He felt the need to. 

"Yes you did. You said something about your mother? This competition was for your mother?" 

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Otto shouted loudly, his back still to Roderick. The boy quieted down, and lowered his head, his emotions finally getting the better of him. He was silently shedding tears, and his voice was a bit stifled when he spoke. "I never even got the chance to say goodbye to her, or to make her proud of me." 

At this point, Roderick realized that Otto was literally crying. Mr. Tough guy of Ocean Shores, California was crying. He turned to face him, and even though the dark lenses in his glasses covered it up pretty well, it was still easy to see that Otto was now crying some. 

"Roderick, you don't know what it's like," Otto managed to say quietly. "Losing someone to a bad disease." 

"Um, what did your mother die of?" 

"Can...cer..." he said slowly. He felt stupid. He had totally forgotten that Roderick had had cancer.

"Cancer is no fun, I can tell you that much, O-man," Roderick told him gently. 

"They didn't find out what it was until after she died," he murmured. "You lived, why didn't my mom? She was nice to everyone and everyone loved her, so why did she have to die..." 

"It was just her time to go. When I was sick years ago, I wondered the same thing, why I was living and why I was suffering, and then I realized it wasn't my time to go yet. My time here on earth nor my purpose hadn't been served up yet and that I, apparently, have something more to do with my life here before I do go." 

"But...I miss mom. She left." He sniffled a bit to hold back a tear. "It-it's the sun. The sun's irritating my eyes," he said quickly, so not to give off the impression that he was crying. 

Roderick went along with the older boy on that. He knew it wasn't the sun. He was just a bit emotional at the moment. "I'm sure your mother is in a much better place, Otto, and she's probably always looking over you." Otto just stood there, not saying a thing as he stared at the younger boy. He wondered how he could sound so optimistic. 

"Oh, so she knows of how much of a loser I am since I can't surf in this one competition that could maybe launch me a career," he answered sarcastically. 

"I think your mother would be more happy that you're living out a healthful life than whether or not you surf in a competition, Otto. Your mother would love you no matter what you do, just like your father does." 

Otto hmmphed and crossed his arms stubbornly. "Yeah right! If Raymundo _loved_ me, he would've let me surf today!" 

"I didn't hear everything earlier," he scratched his head, "but why didn't he let you surf?" 

"Because of that stupid kook, Healey. He had to punish me in some way for whomping Josh, and he could either suspend me from school for the rest of the school year, or either keep me out of the competition today, so Ray_mun_do chose for me to skip the competition." 

"But, you would fail school if he would've chosen suspension!" 

"So what! Who cares if I would've flunked---" Otto stopped shortly as something came to mind...  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
_"I'm glad you're here, Otto. I really miss you and your sister." She took in a deep breath and stared up at the ceiling. "Well, I just want to let you know that I'm glad that you made it to the first grade."_

_"Me too!"_

_"Otto, I want you to promise me that no matter what, that you'll do your very best in whatever it is you do."_

_"Do the best?"_

_She nodded. "Yes. You're very good at what you do, your sports; I notice you're very good on that skateboard and those skates of yours, and I want you to do great with it, but don't let it mess up your school work."_

_Otto nodded. "Maurice...er...Twister's brother was talking about pro skaters and how he's going to be a pro skater by the time he's ten!"_

_Olivia laughed. "Don't count on that. He'd have to be a bit older before doing that. At least a teenager before concentrating on going pro anything. At least 15 or 16, but he still shouldn't let it interfere with his schoolwork, and that shouldn't be the only thing he should be concerning himself with. School should always come first!"  
_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
"Schoolwork," he murmured. "School."

"Huh?" 

"School. Mom always told me and Reg to do our best in school, and one of the last things she told me before she died was to try my best in anything that I did, but to never let it mess with my schoolwork. Mom was always into that." 

"Seems like Uncle Ray made the right decision, then." 

"I-I guess so." Otto felt a bit embarrassed and selfish. How could he have said the things he had to Ray? 

"You didn't let your mom down, Otto-man! Instead, I'm sure she's really proud of you for coming as far as you have. You stood up for a friend and you have extra time to do the best you can before school lets out for summer. Even though you missed this competition, there's always a chance of another statewide one. Statewide competitions are yearly anyway. Just practice up for the next one and blow the competition away!" 

Otto sighed. "I've been a complete jerk to everyone lately, Rod. I've been so intent on being the best surfer this state had ever seen, and I turned on my family, my friends. I even got annoyed with Reggie. None of us are on speaking terms because of my being such a punk." 

"I've been like that a couple of times, O-man. My karate tournaments. Last year, I was so determined on winning by any means necessary; I became cranky towards everyone, and didn't want anyone to stand in my way when training for it. Even my lil bro, Arturo stayed away from me since I was so preoccupied with being the best since I had never lost a tournament yet!" 

"What happened?" 

"I lost my first round," he replied with a small smile. 

"Dude, you lost! How can you smile over something like that?" 

"It was a good thing that I did. See, I felt like I was indestructible and unbeatable that year, that I was the best in the world, and that no one could tell me otherwise since I had won so many tournaments. I learned that day that there's no such thing as the best anything and remembered that practicing martial arts is about self respect, honor, and becoming one with your inner self and in-tune with your body. During that time, I hadn't shown that at all, nor did I practice it since my main focus was on being the best and beating everyone." 

"I don't think I get that." 

"That's okay, just remember Otto that there is no such thing as the best anything. You can have things like personal bests. You're the best at what you, yourself, do, but not in the entire world, and I think that's what your mother meant. To do the best that _you_ can, not to go overboard with it." 

"I guess I got that, but it still hurts that she's gone, Rod. I think about her everyday." 

Roderick smiled and nodded in approval. "That's very good." 

"What is?" 

"That you still think of her, and you carry her around with you everywhere that you go." 

"What?" He put his hand down his shirt, and pulled out a golden object, which was hanging around his neck. "You mean this? I always keep this with me, 'cept for when I'm surfing. I sometimes keep it when I'm shredding up Madtown. I just make sure nothing happens to it." 

Roderick's eyes went wide as the sun reflected off of the metal object, creating a nice, golden beam of light. "Whoa, what's that!" 

"Raymundo gave it to me a few years ago. It belonged to my mother. She found it when scuba diving one time. It's a pendant with a golden, Spanish doubloon." 

"Wow, Otto! That's cool and even better!" the boy exclaimed as he got a bit closer to Otto to look at the shiny, golden object. "You carry her memory around with that pendant, and her spirit within your heart. I'm sure she's very proud of you since you think of her so much and so often. You are motivated to strive through your mother's words." 

Otto slipped the pendant back under his shirt. He never let _any_one see it, in fear of losing or misplacing it. He knew that if he took it out and showed it to everyone, they would want to hold it or something. He'd give up his skateboard and even his custom-made surfboard before sharing his pendant with _any_one, and that included Reggie. 

"Otto, could we go to Spray Beach to watch the surf competition?" 

"What for?! I'm not in it." 

"I-I know," the boy answered timidly, "but you should show that you're not really mad at Uncle Ray anymore and to also show that you're a good sport and-and that you understand why the decisions were made." 

Otto thought this over for a moment. He really didn't want to go, but what the boy said did make sense. He had been a bad sport lately, and he really did need to apologize to Reggie for being such a jerk lately. And he really needed to apologize to Ray for his outburst. 

"I don't know, Roderick. What if they don't want me there?" 

"Of course they would," Roderick insisted, "and I'm sure Cuz Clio would like to talk to you, O-man! She hasn't even seen you yet." 

Otto's eyes lit up suddenly. "_Clio's_ here?!?" 

"Yeah. You didn't see her yesterday at the Shack?" 

"She was at the Shack?" 

"We all were and Reggie's friend Sherry was there too." 

"You guys heard me yell at Raymundo yesterday? You all were there?" 

Rod nodded. 

'Damnit! Ugh, I don't even want to know what Clio thinks of me from that!' Otto inwardly groaned. "I guess we can go. We can catch the bus to Spray Beach." 

"Alright! Let's go! Spray Beach, here we come!" 

"Yeah," Otto feebly nodded. "Are you up to skateboarding up to the Pier?" 

Roderick dropped his board to the ground, made sure his helmet was tied on tight, and gave Otto a thumbs-up. "You bet I am, bro!" 

"Let's get Otto-matic! Let's go!"

"Last one to the Pier is a lame-o!" Roderick teased as he skated fast. 

Otto let Roderick skate ahead, hoping that the boy knew what he was doing. He too knew of his condition. Sure he was a bit more energetic than say a few years ago when the cancer was at its worst, but he still wasn't 100% cured. 

While skating, Otto was thinking over Rod's words. For a kid, he sure did know a lot. All these years, trying to be the best surfer in all of California and then this one competition he had promised to win because of his mother seemed almost pointless since the one main thing his mother was always concerned about was school. He had missed that one important aspect. School is important. His mother tried to drill that into his head before she died and he had totally disavowed any knowledge of it. If Ray had let him surf, then that would've probably let his mother down and it would've been irresponsible as well if he had. 

'I finally understand,' the boy thought while nodding slowly, as he and Rod made their way towards the Pier...


	24. Chapter 23: A Stroll Around Ocean Shores

Yay!! I'm very glad that you all enjoyed the last chapter. I had so much fun writing it! I love a nice, sensitive Otto moment as much as the next person. At least Otto does plan on apologizing to everyone, although his beef with Twister is for totally different reasons, so he's still not going to be on good terms with him quite yet. 

Anyway, for this chapter, it's just Twister and Lars. Lars is up to something, and Twister is curious as to what, but he won't get into detail. 

This chapter was kind of hard to write. I couldn't figure out what I wanted in it, or where I wanted to end it, but I came up with something, so hope you like it. ^^ 

Before continuing on, I must thank Mike and my friend Colin for the help with my Spanish. Colin helped me with the Spanish first, and then Mike helped me when it came to getting into a more, common Mexican dialect. (Hope that made sense) lol 

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with Rocket Power. Klasky-Csupo has that honor.  


* * *

Chapter 23: A Stroll Around Ocean Shores...   
  
Earlier that morning... 

"Hey man, why'd you want to leave so early?" Twister asked while rubbing the sleep away from his eyes. "I didn't even get to eat breakfast." 

"Yo, you can always walk," Lars snapped as he concentrated on the road, "or you could have ridden along with Rod when he left with mom and dad." 

"You know I have to be there early!" Twister complained, holding back another yawn. "Rod probably decided to ride with mom and dad because he didn't want to have to leave earlier than what he had to!" 

Lars grit his teeth and growled some over what Twister had just said about Roderick not wanting to leave them. He didn't understand why it would've been a big deal anyway, especially since he woke up before he did. Rod helped him to wake up Twister. Lars, at the moment, wasn't in the mood to put up with his brother at such an hour. It was half past eight. "Twister, do _not_ piss me off right now." 

Twister was about to say something else, but held his tongue as his brother breezed through Ocean Shores. 

The ride remained in eerie silence. Twister was curious what Lars had in mind and why he wanted to leave so early. He knew better than to question him, he really didn't want to get a whomping later, and he also didn't want to ruin his brother's concentration. But he also didn't like riding around in silence either. 

"Hey, bro?" 

"¿Qué quieres? [What do you want?]" Lars asked in monotone, his dark hair blowing in the wind. He sped up slightly, which caused Twister to hold his hat down in fear of losing it. 

"Why did you wake me up so early if we still have a couple of hours before we even have to go to Spray Beach?" 

He answered plainly, "Solo quería despertarte." [I just wanted to wake you.] 

"¿Por qué?" [Why?] 

"Porque sí." [Just because.] 

"¡Esa no es respuesta!" [That's not a good answer!] 

Lars stopped at the streetlight - which had just turned red - right when Twister yelled at him. He turned to the boy, and then smacked him in the back of the head. 

"Hey!" the younger boy protested angrily while rubbing the back of his head. "¡¿Por qué hiciste eso?! ¡¿Qué te pasa?!" [Why did you do that?! What's your problem?!] 

"For asking too many damn questions." 

"What the hell is _your_ malfunction!" 

"Tu amigo estúpido, Rocket-bobo. [Your idiot friend, Rocket Dork]," he muttered as he pulled off. 

He looked at his brother curiously. "What about him?" 

"This stupid surfing thing. I did a few things last night," Lars responded timidly. 

Twister had never heard Lars speak in such a way. He spoke as if he were hesitant of what he wanted to say, like he would embarrass himself.. 'Why would he care what he says in front of me? He's been insulting O-man for years.' 

"So, um, what'd you do last night?" 

"Is _that_ any of your business?" 

"YES IT IS! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO WOKE ME UP AT 7 IN THE MORNING!" 

"You don't have to yell." 

"Well, I'm still sleepy!" 

"And your point is?" 

Twister gritted his teeth to hold back his temper. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes before replying to Lars's smart remark. "Look, what the hell did you do since I had to wake up earlier than I wanted to?" 

"Don't make me have to explain it," Lars sighed. "I don't feel like getting into it." 

"Whatever, _bro_," Twister muttered as he turned his attention towards his window. 

The two remained in silence as they rode. After a while, Twister finally spoke up. "This isn't the way to Spray Beach, bro." 

"Duh, I _know_ that." 

"Where are you going?!" 

"Isn't it obvious, dimwit?" 

"School?" 

"Wow, you're a lot smarter than you look," he replied sarcastically. 

"Hey, I am _not_ stupid!" He decided to disregard the comment. "So, why _are_ we going there?" 

"Will you stop asking a bunch of questions!" Lars snapped. 

"I don't want to miss the competition, and Reg'll totally _wig_ if I don't get any footage and my teacher'll go aggro!" 

'Oh, the _Reggie_ that you supposedly love?' Lars thought spitefully, jealously. "You'll see soon enough," the boy responded sincerely. 

After arriving at OSH, Lars ordered Twister to stay in the car. Lars ran down to the football field to the locker rooms where the athletics equipment was stored. He dug through his pocket, and took out a key. He was a senior, and captain of their Soccer team, so he was entrusted with a key. 

After entering, he saw a big, cardboard box. He gave off a small, half-smile as he lifted it up. He walked out, set the box down, and locked back up. He then picked up the somewhat heavy box and walked back towards the student parking lot. 

He opened up the trunk of the car, ignoring Twister's curious stares. 'I almost can't believe I'm doing this,' he said as he stuffed the box in. After he was done, he slammed the trunk closed, and jumped back into car, right behind the driver's seat. He loved having a convertible where he could do that. 

"So, bro," Twister started slowly, "what's in the box?" 

"Man, why do you ask so many questions!?" 

"Cause I want to know?" 

"You'll see at the competition." 

"You're not going to mess it up, are you!" Twister asked in alarm, as Lars pulled off and finally started to head over to Spray Beach. "You're not going to sabotage the whole surf competition, are you!?!" 

"Think about it lame brain, why would I do something stupid like that if I'm _in_ the competition?" 

Twister shrugged. "I dunno." 

From that point forward, Twister decided not to bother asking his brother anymore questions. He'd obviously find out later, but why did he have a strange feeling lurking in the pit of his stomach? He had the feeling something was going to happen, and that his brother was in on whatever that something was. It wasn't a bad feeling, nor was it a good feeling. Just a feeling, an anxious feeling...


	25. Chapter 24: Let The Competition Commence...

Wow, took me long enough. Sorry for taking such a while. Just so you know, my term is almost up so I may be around more. No guarantee on that. I've been suffering from "I'm too damn lazy to type stuff out," syndrome. ^^ lol 

This chapter just shows everyone at Spray Beach, and what Lars is up to. There's also some Trent/Reggie/Twister stuff. Hope you enjoy it. 

That aside, thanks to Scott, we now know the official name of Reggie and Otto's mother. It's Danielle. Now why couldn't they have given that information, say, two years ago? Oh well, too late to change Olivia to Danielle now. I know, for this fic, let's say that her name was Danielle Olivia Rocket, but she went by Olivia more than Danielle. ^^ Whee, gotta love my attempt at trying to get things into continuity. 

You know, that scenario is just as screwed as Takeshi (Brock) from Pokémon. All these years, we thought that his mother was dead (which is how I wrote my fics, that his mom was dead, which is why he had to take care of all of his sibs and take the role of parent), but in the Takeshi special (has this ever been dubbed over into English? I've only seen a raw vers. of it), we see that his mom comes home and is really into Water-type Pokémon and flighty, and a bit air-headed. I guess we can blame the dub, cause I got the impression she was dead from the dub of the show. 

*Realizes I'm rambling* 

Sorry. Anyway, if you guys have any questions about anything dealing with this fic so far, or of my planned sequels, just ask them in reviews, and I'll answer them in the last chapter of this story. It'll be totally awesome, and fun!! Especially with what I have planned. The characters'll be answering the questions. ^^ 

Now for my disclaimer: I do not own anything dealing with Rocket Power. Klasky-Csupo has that honor...

* * *

Chapter 24: Let The Competition Commence!! Lars's Selfless Ulterior Motive! 

It was growing closer and closer to the competition's start! Everyone was waiting around anxiously. 

During this time, Reggie was getting her notes together so that she could question some of the onlookers and the contestants, of course. Along with her was a jumpy, yet anxious, Twister. He was fiddling with his camera while Reggie seemed to be writing something down in her small notebook. It was still going to be a while before the teams were all gathered. The representatives from San Clemente hadn't even arrived yet. 

Because of this, Clio, Sherry, and Sam went to where all of the spectators were to watch the event. They didn't have the permission to stay behind with Reggie and Twister. When the event officially begins, then Reggie and Twister would join them. 

"Are you ready, Twist?" Reggie asked dully as she stuck her pen behind her right ear. 

He looked up startled. "Yeah, yeah, sure, right!" He gave an unconvincing grin. 

"Is something wrong?" She looked over at Twister, but tried her best not to stare directly at him. It just made her feel a bit uneasy. 

"Well, um, not really...could be. Sort of?" 

A perplexed expression made its way to Reggie's face and she crossed her arms. "That didn't make sense." 

Twister sighed heavily and stared up towards the sky before answering. "It's my brother." 

"What about him?" 

He looked back down towards the girl, but soon avoided staring at her since he did feel a bit awkward around her since he had such 'non-friend' thoughts about her. The main one being that he felt she was very pretty. "I have this feeling he's going to do something." 

Reggie shook her head, her thick wavy hair swishing. "Your bro maybe a lame-o at times, but even _he_ wouldn't mess up his own competition."

"But he picked up a big box at school before he came here! Who _knows_ what he's capable of or what he's planning!!"

"I bet it's nothing," Reggie insisted.

"Yeah, right," he murmured as he went back to his camera.

The girl couldn't believe that Twist had such little faith in his brother. She had faith in him, and believed that Lars wouldn't do anything _too_ stupid. Not for an event as important as this.

"Okay, let's get these interviews started. We'll talk to the onlookers later. For now, preliminary interviews with the contestants!"

"Okay, Reg." The boy put the camera to his eye and gave the girl a thumbs-up. "I'm all ready, Rocket Girl!"

The two did just that...  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
While that was being done, more and more Ocean Shores inhabitants were arriving to view the competition. Most of them didn't seem very happy. The news about Otto not surfing got around. 

Sam, Clio, and Sherry overheard lots of upset fans. The three were also curious how so many people had found out about it. Sure they found out at the Shore Shack, but these were people who weren't there the previous day. 

"I hope a riot doesn't break out," Sam told Clio and Sherry, a bit worried. Even he didn't realize how popular Otto was.

"I hope not either. That's the last thing Otto needs." Clio ran her right hand through her long wavy hair. "I bet that principal of yours would pin that on him too."

"Healey _can't_ be that heartless," Sherry protested. "I hope..."  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Over by the contestant stands, a bit farther down, under the pier, stood Lars along with his goons Pi, Sputz, and the always out of it Animal. With him, he had the big, cardboard box he had picked up from school.

"Dude, that's weak!" Pi told Lars. "When you mentioned this last night to us and those other kids, I just knew you weren't being serious!"

"Bleahamadsiadd that's lame," Sputz sputtered incoherently.

Animal nodded silently in agreement, trying his best not to topple over. Lars just shook his head in slight disgust. 'That bastard is either high, or drunk again.' He ignored it, and got back to defending himself.

"You think I _want_ to do this?" Lars asked the three earnestly. "I could care less about what happened, but I don't want to be hated so we _are_ going to do this whether you want to or not!"

Pi crossed his arms, and sneered at Lars, as if testing him. "Why should we listen to you!"

Lars grit his teeth, and bawled up his right fist, waving it threateningly while stepping up to the husky, chunky Pi who was much bigger than he. "Because I'll _whomp_ you beyond belief if you don't!!!" He picked up the cardboard box, and handed it to Animal. "Now you three do what I told you! The group I mentioned is the one right in the front, so everything in here, you give to them. You don't have to participate, just give them the stuff."

"Hey, we didn't agree t---"

"DO IT!!" Lars yelled before Pi could finish. 'Man, I hope that dork actually shows up.' 

The chubby boy sighed. There was just no way to not do as Lars said. It was like he had some kind of control over him, Sputz, and Animal. Whatever Lars said, went, regardless of what he and the other two thought...  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Reggie and Twister had finally come to the Ocean Shores contestants. San Clemente showed up a short while after they had first started conducting interviews, and had just finished with them, before coming to the Ocean Shores section. Lars wasn't around currently. Only Trent and Trish were there.

"Hey girlfriend!" Trish greeted, giving the taller girl a high-five.

"Hey guys," Reggie greeted back.

"Hello Reggie," Trent glared slightly at the tall redhead behind Reggie, "Twister."

Twister didn't even notice Trent's unintentional glare, and gave out a simple, "Yo," to the both of them.

"Where's Coach Fletcher?"

"I think he went to talk something over with Healey," Trish answered. "He's up in the stands with the other guests."

"Alright, I'll catch him later," she answered quickly, turning to her tall companion. "Okay Twist, we don't have much time left. Just get the tape rolling while I interview."

He nodded as he started filming. After all of the questions were asked, Twister asked one of his own, "Where's my brother?"

"Who knows, but he'll be here in time," Trish insisted. "He's pretty cool in that sense."

"And a jerk in every other one?"

"Twister!" Reggie shouted at the boy.

"What? He is."

She decided not to say anything more on that subject and turned her attention back to the two out of the three Ocean Shores representatives.

"I wouldn't worry about your brother, mate," Trent managed to say in a friendly manner. "Although, he was a bit peculiar yesterday at our emergency meet. He left it so abruptly and kept saying he had something to do."

"See, Reg!! He _is_ up to something!!"

"Whatever. I doubt Lars would sabotage his own competition, Twist! Your brother maybe a jerk sometimes, but he's not _stupid_!"

"I don't think he would either," Trent agreed whole-heartedly. He then smiled handsomely at Reggie as he placed a hand on her round shoulder and stared into her big, dark mystifying eyes. "You speak such wise words." He winked at her. "Now, just for you, I will win this competition, and then afterwards, we could maybe celebrate it. Just the two of us."

'Whoa, he's trying his luck out again!' Trish thought as she stared.

Reggie smiled wryly and gave off a flustered titter. "That' would be really n-nice of you, Trent."

Twister stared as something started to well up inside him. It was definitely jealousy. He didn't like Trent close to Reggie. He never did. Before he realized what he was doing, he stepped up beside the two, grabbed Trent's hand, and pushed it off of Reggie's shoulder. 

Before anyone could question the boy's action, he spoke up first. "Dude, sorry about that." He turned to Reggie. "Hey, Rocket Girl, we have to get back to the VIP section so you can interview all the pro surfers, and we have to get back in time to watch the actual competition." Twister stared over at Trent, a satisfied smile planted onto the redhead's face. 'Top _that_ Mr. New Zealand!'

"Oh yeah, he's right! We can't spend too much time here. We better get going. Good luck to both of you, and tell Lars good luck for me as well. I haven't seen him all morning."

Trent and Trish nodded and waved to her. Trent forced on a smile as well. 'Darn that Rodriguez brother!! He did that on purpose!'

"Yo, Trent, what's wrong?"

"Nothing Trish." He stared after Twister and Reggie. "Nothing at all," he uttered softly.

'Hmm,' the girl speculated as she looked after Twister, 'I wonder...'  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
The teams were starting to be recognized. The teams consisted of those from San Clemente, Ocean Bluffs, Huntington Beach, Newport Harbor, and, of course, Ocean Shores. 

Right now, the judges were calling all of the contestants down to the beach, but there seemed to be quite a bit of commotion from the onlookers. 

"I wonder what's going on," Twister said as he and Reggie took their places by Sam and the others. 

"I-I think some of the people here are a bit upset over Otto's not surfing today," Sam answered hesitantly. 

"Yeah, Otto is, like, one of the best surfers here in Ocean Shores for a kid his age. It totally sucks that he won't be able to participate," Sherry added. 

"Hey, what's Lars's friends doing over there with that big group?" Clio asked. She noticed Pi, Sputz, and Animal over with a small crowd. 

"Hey, that looks like the box my brother has that Animal is carrying!!" Twister aimed his camera towards them and zoomed the lens. He was very curious as to what was in the box. 

"Maybe we should, like, go check it out?" 

"No way, I'm more interested in the surf competition," Reggie nonchalantly answered the blonde gossip queen. "Twister, stop looking over there and keep it on the water!" 

"Aww man," the boy groaned, pointing his lens towards the water, getting a good look at all of the anxious competitors. 

About a minute later, a few more people were headed towards the beach. It was Mr. & Mrs. Rodriguez, along with Paula, Tito, and Ray. They all met up with one another. Sam was the first to notice them. "Mom!!" The others turned to see the adults walking down the beach towards them. 

"Hi," all of the kids greeted. 

"Hello kids," Ray greeted while trying to remain optimistic. He wasn't going to let Otto's bad attitude ruin his enjoying a good surf contest, even though he was feeling rather rotten and depressed. 

Twister told his parents "hi" quickly and went back to his taping. Right at that moment, the judges once again announced, "Last call for all contestants!! Please join your groups." Lars was still no place to be found. He wasn't ready to join Trish and Trent just yet. 

Mrs. Rodriguez was about to ask Twister something - mainly as to where Roderick was - when it happened. Sounds of protests were coming from the large group that the others had noticed earlier a while before the adults showed up. 

The group consisted of devoted Otto fans, pretty much, and in the cardboard box, were signs and such, which read "Let Rocket Surf," and "Healey Is A Bully," and other stuff such as that. The group continued to chant that Healey was a tyrant and how Otto deserved to surf and represent Ocean Shores. 

Twister couldn't believe what he was seeing as he taped everything. So this is why his brother came home so late the previous night. He was getting together protesters to speak up on Otto's behalf, and made the signs of protest and stored them someplace in their school, but this was Lars. Why would he do that? 

The group marched down the beach, waving their signs. "Let Otto Surf! Let Otto Surf!" they kept shouting. The guests looked perplexed as they started to murmur amongst themselves. 

Officer Shirley, and few selected officers chosen to watch over the even this day, went to the group to try and break them up.   
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Meanwhile... 

"C'mon man, don't just stand there, let's get going!!" 

"I-I'm not sure if I can," the person answered hastily. He was quite nervous. 

His friend grabbed his arm. "If you don't go on your own, I'll have to pull you along!" A look of determination was etched to the young, tan boy's face. 

"But---" 

"I know you're not chicken!!" 

The boy pulled his arm away and frowned. "I AM NOT A CHICKEN!! I'M NOT AFRAID OF ANYTHING!!" 

"Then let's go!" 

"Okay, okay, let's go." 

They made their way towards Spray Beach, but noticed that there was a lot of commotion going on. The two saw all of the signs and what was written on them. He just couldn't believe his eyes...  
*****  
Man this was a long chapter. I personally hated how this one turned out, actually, but it's something for you all to hold you over until this story finally ends, which will he happening pretty soon. 

So, you all now know what was in the box Lars had. Protest signs. Lars wanted to surf in Otto's place, but not on these particular grounds. It's just like the ep Bruised Man's Curb (or is it Curve?). Remember when Otto said he wasn't going to go down the mountain, and how Lars told him how he didn't want to win that way? This is pretty much done in the same fashion. Well, that's what I was aiming for, anyway. 

Hope I did a semi decent job of executing that in a believable fashion. I'll get into more detail later, since I plan on having Reggie confront Lars over it.

*Notices the time*

Okay, I was so busy proofing this, I just missed Rocket Power. ^^ Oh well, there's always the evening showing of it. 

Sore ja, minna-san! And thanks for reading thus far. ^_^


	26. Chapter 25: Can you please forgive me? ...

Man, it's taking me forever to continue with this story and I apologize for that, and I apologize for not reading you guys' fics and updates like I've wanted to. I've been stressed out mentally and emotionally for the past month or so (May and June especially since I was in constant depression for the majority of it).   
  
Oh well, I'm back now and that's all that matters and I thank you all for the wonderful reviews you left me and I thank you all for still reading!! Nods and hugs all

I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter (if you can remember it). It didn't come out the way I really wanted it to, but it got the job done, I hope. ;

I still hate the fact I'm not done with this yet because I wanted to start the sequel to this fic back in May, but that'll be put on hold until I finish this one completely.

One more thing I must include, I must thank Scott for helping me out with this chapter. Seems he and Mike are helping me so much, and that reminds me, I must get in touch with you Mike. Have to ask a couple of questions of you.

Now, for this chapter, you get to see how Otto reacts to all of the support and he surprises everyone too with what he says. The results of the surf competition will be done next chapter, and for those in the US, don't forget to catch the newest RP movie, Island of the Menehune today (July 16), Saturday, and Sunday on Nick. I am so going to watch this! There's no way I'm missing it.

Now, as always, I don't own anything dealing with Rocket Power or its characters. Klasky-Csupo has that honor.

* * *

Chapter 25: "Can you please forgive me?" Otto's Public Apology!   
  
"C'mon man, don't just stand there, let's get going!!"

"I-I'm not sure if I can," the person answered hastily. He was quite nervous.

His friend grabbed his arm. "If you don't go on your own, I'll have to pull you along!" A look of determination was etched to the young, tan boy's face.

"But---"

"I know you're not chicken."

The boy pulled his arm away and frowned. "I AM NOT A CHICKEN!! I'M NOT AFRAID OF ANYTHING!!"

"Then let's go!"

"Okay, okay, let's go."

They made their way towards Spray Beach, but noticed that there was a lot of commotion going on. The two saw all of the signs and what was written on them. He just couldn't believe his eyes.

"What's going on?" Otto could barely get out, his mouth slightly aghast.

Roderick blinked. "Whoa!"

A girl with bright, blonde hair noticed the boy with the dreads and pointed towards him. "Look, it's Otto Rocket!" she squealed.

Everything seemed to go quiet as everyone looked towards where the screaming fangirl was pointing. There stood Otto Rocket, who still couldn't say anything. The spectators and the special guests in the stands started to murmur amongst one another, "Otto Rocket?"

The unusual silence seemed to last for a moment longer until everyone cheered and shouted, running towards the close-to-pro surfer, gathering around him. Reggie and the others also hurried towards Otto.

At this moment, Lars finally allowed himself to be seen and stood by Trent and Trish, muttering, "Rocket-bobo." He crossed his arms and sneered, 'It's about time that show-off got here.'

Reggie and the others pushed their way through the crowd to get to Otto, Sam being first.

"O-man, you came!! I can't believe it!" Sam exclaimed in slight relief. He then said to the boy, "I'm so sorry!! I'm very sorry about what happened yesterday, and I---"

"Surf, Otto-man, surf!" a random person shouted at the top of her lungs, cutting poor Sam off.

"Yeah, get Otto-matic out there on the waves," another person called to the boy.

"Healey's an old tyrant!" a short, dark-haired boy argued who was standing right beside Sam. He gave Otto a thumbs-up and a wink. "We're behind you all the way, Otto-man!"

Everyone around Otto and Roderick then started to chant once again, "Let Otto surf! Let Otto surf!!"

"But, I---" Otto uttered, still not knowing what to say.

Before the boy could get a word out, he was practically bombarded by a tall redhead with a camera in hand.

"Ottoman! What are you going to do? Just think of all of the epic footage I can get if you got out there on the waves and I could use it!!" Twister pretty much questioned, thinking totally from the point of view of a cinematographer.

Otto was about to answer his enthusiastic friend when the thoughts of his sleeping on the couch with Reggie flooded his mind. He turned his head away from his "best bro," and looked towards the others who were questioning him.

Roderick noticed, but didn't really understand. He had come there to apologize, why was he going to treat his best bro so coldly. Twister frowned slightly and sighed a bit, but then forced on a smile, and quietly said, "Glad you made it, bro," even if Otto purposely ignored him. Twister didn't have to see his face to see that he was scowling after he had spoke.

Right at that moment, Assistant Lieutenant Tice Ryan took out his megaphone, shouting, "Okay, move it along people. MOVE IT! MOVE IT! MOVE IT! Everyone please go back to his or hers designated areas!!"

The people did as Tice said and started going back to where they were supposed to have been.

Officer Shirley held her ears as the megaphone gave off a loud feedback sound. "Thank you private," she winced.

Due to the competition in the area, Tice as well as other lifeguards from other local beaches were there to make sure nothing goes wrong. It was risky, but more inexperienced lifeguards were watching the beaches for the couple of hours this event would take place.

Officer Shirley looked down at Otto. "Mind explaining yourself?"

"Explain myself?" Otto asked timorously.

She nodded. "You're causing quite a commotion here, munchkin."

"Shirl," Ray quietly spoke up, a bit of caution evident in his voice, not sure of what to do for his son, or what kind of a mood he was in, "please, it's not his fault that everyone here wants to see him surf."

"I'm sorry about the trouble, Big Ray, but he is causing quite a bit of a commotion, and right now, you all need to go back to where you belong and let me handle Otto."

Ray and the others did as Officer Shirley instructed and walked off, but right at that moment, a dark, blond wavy-haired Italian made his way down the beach from the commentator's stand. He was neither tall, nor short, and he was very clean-shaven. He had been involved in every form of wave riding for all but a tiny handful of his thirty-odd years. This man was the beach marshal, Michael Lambresi.

He stopped right in front of Otto, staring down at the boy. To Otto, it seemed as if he was studying him or trying to figure the young Rocket out.

"Officer, let me handle this," he spoke quietly.

"If you insist, sir." With that, she walked off.

"So you're the Otto Rocket I keep hearing about." Otto nodded to Lambresi's expressionless face. "Your school principal dropped you from the surf competition today, correct?" Otto nodded slowly. "What for?"

The boy grew a bit nervous from receiving the third degree. His being nervous in general was most definitely a first. He quietly uttered, "For fighting."

"Ahh," Michael said, as if understanding, "for fighting." He got quiet, and rubbed his chin. To Otto, he looked to be in thought over something. "Do you feel that you should surf today?"

He shrugged. What was with this guy talking to him as if he were a parent? "Um, sir, if it's okay, may I say a few things to everyone?"

Michael gave Otto an assuring smile, and nodded. "I figured you would, seeing as how you're Ray Rocket's son. Always doing the right thing."

"Wait, you _know_ my father?!"

"We sure do. We go way back, somewhat. He was a good friend of my older brother in High School and he would hang around our house quite a bit, and I would tag along at times. He may have been the type to cut school, but he always did whatever he could for his friends." He shook his head, smiling over his fond childhood memories. "Sorry for getting into my life story. Come with me."

He and Otto walked back up to the commentator's box where all of the guests were located, as well as a few choice reporters.   
  
All of the guests and participants were discussing amongst themselves, curious as to what was going on. "Attention everyone, please!" Michael shouted over the microphone.

After he felt he had everyone's attention, he continued, but Otto, at this moment, was tuning him out. He was too busy admiring all of the professional surfers that were just inches away from him.

'Dude, I can't believe it! It's the Rhino, and---'

"Okay, Otto, go ahead."

"Uh, wha, huh?"

"Go ahead and say whatever it is you wanted to say."

Otto nodded, and gulped hard, quite anxious as he tapped the mic. "Um-um, hi," his voice echoed as the microphone gave a bit of feedback. "Erm, sorry about that."   
  
"I wonder what the lil' Rocket cuz is going to say."

Ray sighed. "Knowing Otto, he's probably going to praise and thank all those who supported him."

"If your Otto gets to surf, then that means our Lars will be out," Sandy uttered softly.

"I assure you Sandy, Raul, that won't happen." He then added unenthusiastically, "No surfing in this competition is a part of his punishment."

"Now Ray, what if _they_," Paula pointed towards the officials who were also in the commentator's stand, "permit him?" She held back a sneeze and pulled her shawl closer to her body, her cold still not completely gone. "Are you going to walk up there and embarrass him in front of so many people just to tell him he can't surf?"

"A punishment is a punishment, Paula," Ray answered dully. "There will be other competitions."

Raul pulled on his thick mustache and stared at his blonde, balding friend. "Are you sure, my friend?"

Ray nodded.

"But Otto deservers the praise for what he did!" Sandy insisted.

"I'm a rule follower myself," Mrs. Stimpleton said - she and Merv met up with Ray and the others right after the commotion was broken up by Tice and Officer Shirley - "but in his case, he does deserve to be recognized and honored, even if he did break the rules."

"Yeah, he saved my son's life!" Paula nearly screamed while hugging Sam tightly.

Sam's cheeks turned a bit red from his mother's hysteric way of talking, that and he was a bit embarrassed. "Mom, not in front of everyone!!"  
  
Everyone giggled silently as Mrs. Dullard's grip grew tighter on the husky boy...  
  
"...some of you - okay, a lot of you - have come out to root me on and to surf, and I really appreciate it," he paused, "but---I don't really deserve it." Everyone started to murmur and mumble, wondering what the boy was talking about.  
  
'Wait a minute, that dork isn't supposed to do that!' Lars thought, astonished. He was expecting Otto to jump right in and grab a board, and head towards the water to show off. 'He's actually being...selfless?'  
  
"I've been stressed out a lot cause of this competition, and have been acting kind of like a kook lately, no, worse, a jerk..."  
  
'No kidding,' Twister thought while rolling his eyes.   
  
"...especially to the people who mean the most to me." He looked over in the direction where Ray was standing with the others. He focused on Reggie and Ray at the moment. "These people have been a part of my life since always, and they've always been there for me."  
  
Reggie felt her self about to cry. She knew how terrible Otto was with apologies, but this was the nicest way he had ever apologized to practically anyone. The apology seemed very heart-felt and honest.

Ray smiled approvingly. He was very proud of Otto. He too figured out whom he was referring to.  
  
"Yesterday I got into a fight with a real jerk, and if I could do it over, I would without thinking about it twice. It cost me my spot in this competition, but," he looked over in Sam's direction, "my fight helped out a friend that means a lot to me."  
  
'Wow, so he _doesn't_ hate me and he doesn't blame me!'

"See, Sam, Otto doesn't blame you," Sherry said with a cheery smile, "so you can stop thinking about it now."

Sam's eyes grew wide; his mouth gaped open. "How did you know what I was thinking!"

She shrugged and winked. "Just call it a hunch."  
  
"Healey - I hate to say it, and glad he isn't here to hear it -" Healey left right before Otto showed up, "shouldn't be hated for what he did. With actions, good or bad, come consequences, as dad says. Healey was just doing his job, and it could've been worse."

Those around started to talk again in hushed voices, surprised at all the usually hyper boy was saying. Lars, as well as Reggie and Twister couldn't believe what they were hearing. He was acting mature…and adult!!

"There will be more surf competitions," he gave a smug smile, which the girls pretty much swooned over that could see him up close, "and I _will_ dominate, but for this one, Lars Rodriguez will surf in my place. He's a great surfer..."  
  
Twister blinked, quite dumbfounded, still taping Otto while he was making his speech. "I can't believe he _said_ that."

"Me...either," Reggie managed to get out.

'I'm going to have to watch this video after I finish taping to see if I heard him right.'

"This is, like, so definitely a first for him."

"Definitely," Clio answered Sherry with a nod. "He's usually too stubborn to admit when he's wrong and I've never heard him say a nice thing about Lars since I've known him."  
  
"I guess that's all I can say, other than enjoy the competition. Ocean Shores has some very challenging competition, so you other teams better watch out!"

With that, everyone started to cheer and clap while Otto waved his arms in the air.

"Way to go, Otto cuz!" Tito called out, clapping hard and whistling.

"YEAH OTTOMAN!!" cheered Roderick while jumping up and down.

"Ooo, that was so sweet and adorable of him!" Violet squealed.

"I hate to say it, Rocket, but that's one fine boy you have there," Merv complimented.

"Yes," Ray uttered, quite flabbergasted, "yes, I do."

"You sure do, bruddah," Tito smiled proudly as he patted his old friend on the back, "you sure do."  
  
"Wow, that Rocket is a very good person," Trent complimented in approval. He then gently smiled as a certain Rocket female came to mind. "It must run in the family."

Coach Fletcher - who had returned to his team after Healey left - nodded in agreement with Trent. "That's one good kid there. Just like Raymundo."

The petite Trish turned to the Lars, trying to hold back her own laughter due to the irony of the situation. "So, Lars, you have Otto's full support."

"Whatever! I don't need Rocket Dork's support, and I didn't _ask_ for it! I could care less!" He stubbornly crossed his arms. 'Damn you, dork! I did _not_ want you to say anything nice in reference to me!' His harsh expression lifted a bit. 'Thanks, Rocket-bobo.'

Due to Otto's sincere words, he was allowed to sit in the commentator's stands as a guest, pretty much with the other guests - whom were visiting to watch this competition - to watch from there. It was a very enlightening experience for the boy, as he received surf tips and praise from those who were there. Otto Rocket was in heaven.

As Otto sat there, watching the competition, he felt as if a load of stress was lifted off of him, like when he talked with Roderick. Even though he said all those things with Roderick, he felt that he wouldn't go blabbing about it. It was like they had silent, mutual agreement when on the way to Spray Beach. He didn't have to ask Roderick not to say anything about what he told him to anyone else...he just knew.

Otto was glad he said what was on his mind, and hoped that Reggie, Sam, and Raymundo truly forgave him. He would find out later, the party at the Shore Shack after the surf competition would be the perfect opportunity, he thought...


	27. Chapter 26: Let's Rip It Up! The Quiet ...

Wow, thank you so much for those reviews (And special thanks to Mike for the encouraging words, I really needed that)!! They are very very highly appreciated!! Hugs all I rather enjoyed them. Oh, and sorry for not uploading this July 23 like I promised I would. Just got a bit busy.

Well, this story is winding now. Only one more major thing to happen to go, and I think that'll happen in two chapters. Who knows, that may change. Either way, a sequel to this story will be written, and I've changed the plot a bit. It will be dealing with Roderick's character mostly, but will also be about Otto's coming to terms and about Twister and Otto's becoming best bros again. For this story, their getting back on good terms isn't going to happen.

Oh, that aside, I hope you all enjoyed watching "The Big Day" this past Friday (July 30). I didn't catch it from the beginning, but it was cool. Otto can be a really cool guy.

I must mention something else, what this chapter is going to feature. lol Well, in this chapter, it shows the exact outcome of the Surf Competition and who wins it, etc. and what happens after it. Originally the beginning of this chapter was supposed to be have been the ending of the previous one, but I changed my mind and decided to open this chapter with what happened. This chapter also features another "cameo" type character, so enjoy. The character being "cameod" is my way of saying thanks for reading, and you know who you are. lol Also, thanks go out to both Scott and Mike who are always helping me brainstorm for this fic on occasion so let's give them all some applause! Claps heartily

Well, that's about all I can say about this chapter, other than an still means that there's an Author's Note at the end explaining whatever it is that needs explaining. Now, I do not own anything dealing with Rocket Power. Klasky-Csupo has that honor.

* * *

Chapter 26: "Let's Rip It Up!!" The Quiet One's Victory! 

The competition showed to be very ferocious. Otto definitely wasn't kidding around when he said that Ocean Shores' representatives would be a challenge. The best teams there were San Clemente and Ocean Shores.

The competition between those two teams was fierce as each team's representatives surfed their very bests.

Lars showed to be very good and the support from those around him - Coach Fletcher shouting the loudest - as well as those cheering for him gave him even more confidence. He refused to mess up in any way - didn't want to let anyone down, and he also wasn't used of this type of attention - as he pulled off a Layback perfectly.

For one part of it, Lars and Trent nailed surfing A-Frame flawlessly (Lars going backside and Trent going front side). This just showed how much teamwork the team possessed and how synchronized they all were. The other teams had a bit of a communication problem amongst one another. Fletcher had always made it a number 1 priority to communicate when having to surf together. It was one of the first things he taught the group.

At the end, thanks to Trish's pulling off a McFlip that neither Trent nor Lars could, efficiently - both messed up and lost their balance -, it gave Ocean Shores the win.

It was surprising how the two boys managed to mess up such a trick; especially since that was one move that Fletcher had them practice constantly due to its being such a rare one, so rare, that no one else had been known to do this move in the area, although, Otto had always managed to pull it off (just not as gracefully) and Trent could, somewhat.

When trying that trick - he wanted to try something fancy - Lars just lost his footing - since he did start to try his best to show off - and Trent actually got a bit distracted. A certain dark-haired girl with sunglasses propped up on his head smiled to him and cheered, which caused him to lose his balance and to wipe out.

Luckily, Trish - who had made no wipeouts what so ever and had managed to stay on the board about 98% of the time - kept the team's status high. Fletcher was extremely surprised since Trish had never managed that move before. She could never do the full 360.

After the competition, everyone - who knew about it - went over to the Shore Shack for the party that had been planned since news of the competition and Otto's being in it weeks earlier. Everyone cheered for the girl's victorious McFlip who could only smile timidly. Trish was never all that great at receiving praise or compliments. She was most definitely the laid-back type who didn't care for a lot of attention.

"Way to go mate!" Trent practically screeched while giving the girl a giant bear hug. The boy doing that just caused Trish to blush slightly and laugh sheepishly, "Thanks, Trent." She had never received that kind of attention from the New Zealand teen. It was actually quite nice, _very _nice in fact.

Lars stomped over to Trish and actually smiled to her. He had never had anything against Trish or Sherry so he never did treat them too mean or bully them as kids. He told her, "Good job," and patted her on the back.

He was glad that Trish had gotten them the win, especially since he didn't care for Trent at all. He wasn't as vocal - or as bad - as Otto or bragged as much, but it was the little things he'd do that would irk him. He'd seem to act a bit snooty at times.

Others were still chatting lively about the final part of the competition and of course Trish's surfing in general…

"Oh man!" a curly-haired blonde 6' tall OSH sophomore boy exclaimed. "The way she entered the wave was just awesome! I had never seen anyone else do a perfect barrel like that, at least not in this category!"

His older friend with the thin-rimmed glasses nodded in agreement, also quite excited over the outcome of the event. Both were sipping on Guava Shakes standing over by where the fire alarm was in the Shore Shack.

"Oh yeah! And the way she zig-zagged on the wave was even cooler, Scott! She was really riding it!" He chuckled lightly. "I must confess, though, I got sick of only seeing her at some points, but when that wave covered her, it was unbelievable!"

"Hey, Miguel, which do you think was the most exciting part out of all of the moves Trish did?"

Before the 17-year-old could speak, a light voice answered, "The best part was when she exited the curl! That was a totally difficult stunt there!" The two boys jumped in surprise from the uninvited intrusion on their conversation.

They turned to see a pretty, intelligent girl a bit shorter than the two of them with tan skin and shoulder-lengthened dark brown hair, which she always decorated by wearing a peineta. She would usually wear her typical sweatshirt and jeans, but today she was wearing a bright yellow sundress, due to how warm it was watching the competition.

The girl wasn't very fond of computers or other technological things - such as computers - but she enjoyed reading very much as well as biking and your other typical activities, such as going to the movies and hanging out with Miguel or her friends.  
  
"Whoa, hi Claudia," Scott greeted. "We didn't see you there."

Miguel smiled to his future wife, while staring dreamily into her beautiful, captivating brown eyes. "You scared us."

"Of course not," she said in response to Scott, "and sorry for scaring you. You were too wrapped up in your discussion about today's competition to notice my sneaking up behind you, but I don't blame you!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Trish was totally awesome! So were Trent and Lars, but Trish had close to no mistakes! That part where she exited that curl, _man_! What was that move called again? A Frontside Railgrab 720 Air?" She sighed admiringly. "Makes me wish I was more of a surfer."

"Yeah, not many girls are strong enough to stand on their boards upside down and balance on their hands, while the wave is collapsing behind them," Miguel stated as if he were a professor. "That had to have been the determining factor in Ocean Shores' win. A girl being able to pull off such a grand move."

"That's gotta be something really hard to do!" Scott said. "I surf quite frequently, but I've never been able to pull that off!"

Claudia sipped on her Pineapple Coconut Smoothie, one of Tito's specialties. "Oh, but of course Trish managed to pull it off, mainly because she rules---"

* * *

For this glorious celebration, Lars even managed to hang around for a while, Pi, Sputz, and Animal right behind him. He muttered regrettably as he walked up to Otto - his three cronies a few feet behind him - who was sitting at the bar, surrounded by all of his adoring fans, which consisted mostly of girls. Lars wore a sneer on his face and his arms were crossed.

"Yo, Rocket Dork!"

Otto sniffed and gave the older teen a wary look after being called. "What do _you_ want Lars?"

Lars pushed his way towards Otto in front of those who surrounded him. Everyone knew Lars and what he and his crew were capable of, and knew better than to mess with him, so when he pushed innocent others out of his way, the people didn't object. Lars was trying his best _not_ to hurt anyone, though, when doing so, girls especially. He may have been a bully, but even he had his limitations and would never purposely strike a girl.

"Look, _dork_, I didn't _need_ your okay to surf today!"

"I didn't give you the okay," Otto replied dully.

"What_ever_!" he snorted while rolling his eyes, his arms once again crossed. He noticed his parents looking his way. He sighed and decided to be nice. "Anyway, what you did for the Squid was cool, and stuff," he said quietly. "Now don't expect me to say thanks for what you said about me today, because I don't _gotta_ do anything!"

Otto stared at Lars incredulously, and then flashed a smug smile to the taller, tanned boy. "You're _welcome_ Lars," Otto told him, trying to hold back a laugh.

"You-you...whatever man! I am _out_ of here!" Lars turned to leave. "Animal, Pi, Sputz, let's go!"

Otto chuckled at the irony of the situation as he watched Lars leave hurriedly with his gang.

* * *

While everyone was off doing their thing, Ray and Tito were talking with a few of the pro surfers at the competition, which included the Rhino - or as Ray liked to call him, Walter - Coach Fletcher, and Michael Lambresi, all reminiscing about their pasts, and also talking about what a great kid Otto was for what he did and said.

Shortly before that, Otto had managed to apologize to most everyone directly whom he had treated crappily. Well, almost everyone.   
  
Otto - who was finally getting tired of all of the attention from the girls and other fans of him - wanted to talk to someone else a bit more important. He jumped off the stool he had been at the entire time and walked up to Ray.

"Hey, where's Reg? I wanted to talk to her."

"I don't know, Rocket Boy. She was here congratulating Trish, Trent, and Lars along with Clio, Sam, Roderick, and Sherry. I think I saw that Van Rossum kid here too, along with Eddie." Otto frowned slightly; Ray placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, she'll turn up sooner or later. Maybe you could go hang with Twister for a while," he then muttered, "although I haven't seen him around either..."

Otto shrugged and walked out to the front of the Shore Shack and looked over the railing down at the ocean. He listened to the waves crashing onto shore and seagulls soaring overhead - music to his ears - salty sea air invading his nostrils. The last thing he wanted was to talk with Twister, even though he hadn't seen him around much either since the party officially started.

"Otto!!" the boy heard a voice call. He turned to see a certain, pretty, wavy-haired girl running towards him.

"Hey, Clio!" Otto gulped out.

She hugged him tightly, the boy not having any time to react. "It's great what you did for Sammy!"

"Er, um...ehehe. H-hi Clio. Y-yeah, guess it was."

Clio broke the hug and stared at the boy, who was pretty much eye-level with her now. "Sammy's lucky to have a good friend like you."

"Y-yeah, guess he is."

Otto decided to calm himself and stop acting like a kook. It was only Clio, why act strange around her? He always did whenever she would visit the Rodriguez family.

"How come you're standing out here by yourself?" Clio asked, staring over the railing with him.

He laughed nervously and started to scratch his head, as if embarrassed. "You know...just-just hanging." Otto mentally smacked himself for sounding so lame. "So, Clio," he replied coolly, "how did you like the competition?"

"It was _totally_ intense! Too bad you didn't get the opportunity to surf for it. I wanted to see if you'd gotten any better."

"You bet I have!" the boy stated as he stood tall, high, and mighty. "I'm Otto Rocket, best surfer in all of Ocean Shores, California!" He narrowed his eyes playfully at Clio. "And I can prove it!"

Clio folded her arms across her chest and smiled at Otto. "_That_ sounds like a challenge."

Otto laughed at the girl's proposal. "You think _you_ can out do me?"

"Now _that's_ the Otto Rocket I know! Let's hit the beach later so I can show you what I've learned from my trip to New Zealand this past winter."

"Ooo!" a voice exclaimed. "Cuz Clio, can I come too?!"

Otto and Clio turned around, surprised to see a small boy behind them.

"Roderick, where did _you_ come from?"

The boy was chomping away on a hula burger, which was in his left hand, and sipping on a soda that he was holding in his right. He swallowed down some of his burger before answering Clio. "I wanted to hang out with Otto-man and Twister, but Twister's gone."

"Yeah, Reg isn't around either," Otto mumbled. "I really wanted to talk to her. I didn't get to see much of her today. She barely got out a 'Good job Rocket Boy,' before a stampede of girls broke us apart."

"Oh, I was talking with her earlier. She and my cousin decided to go work on videos."

"Aww, they just left like that?" Roderick frowned. He wanted everyone to be together.

"Ahh, Rod, don't worry about it," Clio told him gently, "you can hang with the rest of us until they come back. I wonder if the others are up for a surf session."

"I don't know about Trish or Trent, but I'm sure the others won't mind!" Roderick's face lit up and he smiled. "I'll go ask the others if they want to surf with us!!" The boy took off before either teen could respond.

"Looks like we get to see you out on the water after all, O-man."

Otto looked back out at the ocean as if distracted. "Yeah, yeah. Guess so."

So Twister was alone with Reggie again. Why did it bother him so much? Twister was his friend, he was Reggie's friend too, but still the way he had been acting around her lately and his always casually hanging with her was bugging him in general.

'Some best bro,' he inwardly scoffed as he and Clio walked back into the Shore Shack to get their gear together to go surfing...

* * *

Okay, hope you enjoyed this chapter. I had fun writing it. Bet you all were surprised somewhat, right? Trish perfected a move. We all know how she's one of the best female surfers in Ocean Shores.

Now, some information for the moves mentioned above:  
  
McFlip  
A move that was developed by a locally famous surfer in Indialantic, Florida at a spot called Two Roads (Uluwaturoads, Imperial Suites) that was developed when nobody else was watching. A maneuver that entails a full flip and a 360 degree turn mid-air turn that has yet to be seen by many other except for locals. None residing in San Diego, California, and this maneuver has never been perfected by anyone else.

Frontside Railgrab 720 Air   
Well, I think that was described well enough with the conversation between Claudia, Scott, and Miguel. Thanks goes out to both Mike and Scott for the inspiration for that one.


	28. Chapter 27: I Think You're Cute Confessi...

Glad you guys are back to read this. This fic is definitely almost over, which means the sequel is coming up soon and I hope you all decide to read it (hopefully, it won't be as long as this one). Oh, I also took a while uploading this chapter since I'm having computer probs currently and also can't access the net from my room anymore…and my time is limited on my parents' computer, so meh. That aside, the Twister x Reggie fans should enjoy this chapter (even though I personally found it extremely corny and cheesy). Reggie learns something surprising from Twister.  
  
Let's see, the surf terms I used for the last chapter I got from the site, riptionary .com. It's a great site for those wanting to know of different moves and slang, etc. I highly recommend it.

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with Rocket Power. Klasky-Csupo has that honor, now on with the story!

* * *

Chapter 27: "I Think You're Cute..." Confessions Over A Video Project! 

"Aww, Reggie," Twister complained with a frown, "why'd you want to do this now? I wanted another burger!"

"So I can hang with Sherry, Trish, and Clio tomorrow afternoon instead of hanging out here. Well, not as long. I can get the pictures I need today, and you can finish working on your project tomorrow."

"Why do _I _have to suffer?" the boy groaned.

"_Twist_er!!"

"Just kidding, Reg."

The two were at Ocean Shores High in the A/V lab, which was pretty much a normal occurrence. Twister had a key to the room, just as Reg had one to the head Journalism office. This procedure was very usual, but for Twister, it was becoming a bit more difficult since his feelings for Reggie were changing so dramatically.

As of right now, Twister was seated in the chair going through videos while Reggie stood behind him.

"Man," Twister whistled while looking through one of his tapes, "Trish is really awesome!"

"Yeah, she is."  
  
He looked up at the girl and grinned amorously. "I bet you could out-surf her."

Reggie smirked wittily at him. "Flattery will get you nowhere, Twister Rodriguez." She sat down next to him, his smile fading. "Hand me that tape over there."

Twister handed her the tape and went back to editing and pasting. Nearly an hour had passed, and the two were close to finished.

"Wow, this is coming together nicely, Twist!" Reggie complimented while looking over the boy's right shoulder. She had grown rather restless from sitting and had stood up to stretch her legs.

"Yeah," he replied absent-mindedly. He always got distracted when editing videos, but he was a bit more elsewhere than usual this time.

Reggie was quiet for a moment since Twister didn't say anything else after his "Yeah" but she was expecting that, somewhat. He always seemed to tune out most everything whenever working on his video projects. "What Otto said was nice."

"Yeah, it was," he stated simply, his eyes still glued to the screen, making sure each scene used for the video was just right.

"At least we know he's not tweaked at us anymore."

She sat back down and scooted closer to Twister, who was finally starting to notice something besides his work. It was starting to make him feel a bit nervous since she was so close to him. He still managed to keep his attention on the monitor and controls, though, which sat in front of him.

"Yeah, it's cool that he's not mad anymore," he managed to say, a slight uneasiness to his voice. "The Squid was right."

The future film director didn't get that impression as far as he was concerned. He still sensed bad vibes from Otto. Even at the party, Otto didn't approach him once and ever so often, Otto would shoot him dirty looks, but those who were around him at the time when Otto did so, didn't seem to notice since they were too busy glorifying the boy, as usual.

"What surprised me the most today - other than my brother's public apology - was all of the support he got from everyone."

"Oh yeah," he turned to face Reggie, "and the fact that my brother was a part of it!"

"Your brother?" Twister nodded going back to the screen as she thought back. "Wait, didn't you mention something about a box and how he was up to something?"

"Yeah."  
  
"Hey, still think Lars is a bad guy since he did actually help my bro today?"

The hat-wearing boy could only shrug to the question. He couldn't really give an answer. "I wonder what caused O-man to go back to his old self."

'I should go thank Lars later.' She smiled merrily. "It doesn't matter. We have Rocket Boy back!"

At that moment, Twister looked over at Reggie, who was still sitting pretty close to him. His eyes were fixated on the teen girl as if he had no control over it. Reggie noticed. 'Just like before,' she realized in thought. 'He did that before; a couple of days ago, right before we went to the Pier the day Otto went aggro on us.'

"Twister? What's wrong?"

"I missed that pretty smile of yours," the boy admitted dreamily and distractedly, Reggie currently being the obvious distraction.

"Wh-what?"

"Even without your smile, you're still pretty and great. You sure are wonderful, Reggie Rocket."

Reggie was a bit taken aback. Here was her friend of many years practically talking to her as if trying to muster up the courage to ask her out on a date. She could most definitely tell that he was speaking from his heart, like the sensitive guy that he was. It was quite obvious that the boy wasn't speaking from his mind, because then, he would've denied everything, or not have said anything at all. Curious, Rocket Girl now had a question of her own.

"Twister..." she was somewhat hesitant, but went on anyway "...what and _how_ do you feel about me?" Reggie was more curious as to how he felt than what. 'Could he...maybe...like me in more than a friendship way?'

"I think you're one of the best girls in the world. You're fun to hang around, you're nice, you're really smart, you're a great surfer, you don't show off, and you're pretty. You're great at writing, and you're good with sentences and words and stuff. When you're upset, I always want to help you and try to make you feel better and when I can't, it makes me sad.

"Any guy that would end up as your boyfriend I would call him lucky!" He then sighed admiringly, "I just sometimes wish I could be that guy."

Twister stopped. Did he just say what he _thought_ he just said? It was like his logical, denial, side had zoned out. Reggie was too flabbergasted to say much of anything. She was surprised, yet not. She had suspected it - only lately, though - and now because of that semi-confession, her uncertainties had been eased and lifted. In a way, she felt rather thrilled.

"No one's said anything that nice about me before," she managed to quietly say.

"I-I-I didn't s-s-say anything!" the boy insisted. "H-honest!"

"I heard you," she replied gently. She wasn't upset or angry with him, but the boy seemed so anxious to get away from her, which he just didn't seem to notice or realize.

Twister stood up and went to the door of the classroom. "Wow, it's getting hot in here!"

Reggie stood up and walked up to him. The boy's face was so red at the moment that his freckles weren't nearly as visible since they seemed to be just as red and he looked like he was about to run through the closed door since he was currently having a difficult time opening it. He was so nervous, he was turning the doorknob in the wrong direction.

"We should hurry up and finish so-so that we can leave." He started to fan himself with his left hand since he just couldn't seem to open the door. "It's, um, getting late, and-and---"

Reggie hugged him before he could get anything else out. Twister's eyes just seemed to bug out and he suddenly couldn't find his voice.

"You're nice Twist, and I believed everything you just said. You always speak from your heart," she laughed, "or from the silly, doesn't make sense part of your mind, but I can usually tell the difference, and this time, it was definitely from your heart."

The two remained embraced like that for a while, just like the previous morning, only this time, there was no Sam to distract them. He stared down at Reggie and she started up at him. Without thinking about it twice, both leaned in and shared their very first kiss.

After they broke their kiss, Reggie gently whispered, "I've wanted this kind of attention from you for a while."

"You...like...me?!?"

She blushed slightly, nodding slowly. "You've been on my mind a lot...lately," she answered shyly, "especially after you invited me to the amusement park with you. I enjoyed it a lot and just wanted to spend time with you like that again, just the two of us, but I found it a bit strange.

"Last night, I talked with Clio, and she said that I sounded lovesick, but I never did mention the guy."

"W-wow. This is…just, weird." Twister grew a bit skeptical. "Wait, why would you like someone like me? I'm not super handsome like Trent or brainy like Sam nor do I have a car like Lars, or, um, am like any other guys around who are all better than me in probably everything."

"Trent's just a friend," she answered briskly. "He's nice and all, but, he's not you and you're not him. The same goes for everyone else and I can't be_lieve_ you brought Lars into that category! I don't like him like that!"

Twister's face grew a bit redder, but also felt relieved that Reggie didn't have an interest in any of those other guys, his brother especially. He didn't know why, but he just didn't trust him when it came to Reggie. No, he didn't think he'd try anything with her, but he still couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"I don't know what it is about you that I like," she admitted bashfully as she racked her brain. "You're very caring and you are pretty considerate of others' feelings - well, you are now - and you don't seem to have an ego trip whenever you do, do something well. I guess you're pretty down to earth and especially sincere and creative, and I like that about you, that and your good heart." She giggled at him again, "And your naivety is just so cute sometimes. I guess I like everything about you."

"Um...oh?"

Reggie laughed a bit as she squeezed him tighter, as did he. She was content and she was happy. This felt right to her and she wouldn't change it for anything. Since Twister had come clean with her, she no longer felt awkward.

"So, what do we do now?"

Reggie thought for a moment and smiled. "Whatever you want."

"Cool!" He was about to kiss her again, but Reggie pushed away from him. "Huh, what?"

"_You_ have a video to finish."

"Aww man!"

Reggie laughed at Twister's cute, dejected expression. "Well, the sooner we finish, the sooner we can leave and hang out casually.  
  
"Okay!!"

Hmm, how does the amusement park sound to you? Just the two of us?"

"It sounds good to me!" he exclaimed.

He hurried back to his seat; she trotted and sat down beside him. Twister seemed to have a grin plastered to his face and he started to put the finishing touches on his video, but decided to work on the audio later. The sooner Reggie finished her part, the sooner they could leave.

In no time, Reggie and Twister locked up and left the A/V lab, hand in hand, making their way back to the Pier, a new relationship and connection found between the two...


	29. Epilogue

Well guys, this is the last chapter of this fic and I hope you all will enjoy it (I really didn't much ). I thank you all for the reviews on the past chapters, which were very highly appreciated. Oh, and in response to what one of you said, no, I'm not going to write a lemon. I don't write lemons, mainly because I'm not really into those kinds of stories.

Oh, I changed my mind about doing a Q&A thing. You guys didn't ask enough questions, which means that I must've done a good job with this story since you guys rarely asked any questions. lol Seriously, though, if you guys do have questions, go on and leave 'em in a review, and I'll go on and do a Q & A addition to this story.

Now, as usual, I do not own anything dealing with Rocket Power. Klasky-Csupo has that honor.

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Chapter 28: "What _Does_ It Take To Be The Best?" Otto's Conclusion! 

It had been two weeks since the surf competition, and things were almost back to normal in Ocean Shores. Roderick was back home with his family - but was going to visit again later on in the summer when his family takes their trip to Mexico - and Clio had just recently left for her trip to Hawaii. School was out for summer, and everyone was anxiously awaiting their report cards to see if they had passed to the next grade - not counting Sam who was pulling a 5.0 Grade Point Average (GPA), or Lars since he had just recently graduated.

The day after Reggie had returned home from the A/V lab with Twister when the two had finally officially gotten together, Otto had a talk with her. Reggie wanted to speak with him as well, but she didn't get to tell him what she wanted (and she still currently hadn't). He apologized for the way he had been treating her and Sam. When Reggie asked why he was so anxious to be the best, he didn't answer and muttered, "Because," and left it at that. Reggie figured that it was obviously a very personal matter, and decided not to butt in.

Right now, Otto was sitting on the half-pipe outside of their house, in deep thought, staring up at the clear blue sky. For the past few weeks, he was irritable towards his friends, but in reality, he was jealous of them and his jealousy just got out of hand.

He was jealous of Sam's brains and his academic accomplishments, and how he'll more than likely succeed in life at whatever he puts his mind to, especially since he was definitely a shoe-in for the Ivy League school of his choice.

With Reggie, it was pretty much the same thing, only, in his eyes, he always felt that Ray favored Reggie and that their mother had as well when alive, so he felt the need to out do her, and felt that his time to prove it would be at the previous surf competition; and then there was his best bro, Twister.

Twister was changing, and Otto just didn't know how to cope with it. He was getting more into his schoolwork instead of coming up with new skate tricks or helping him practice them. If it didn't deal with A/V, he wouldn't really bother anymore. That wasn't what was really bothering him about Twister (even if he _was_ a bit jealous and felt as if Twister was leaving him behind), but it was his recent interest in Reggie. He was still hanging out with her every chance he got and inadvertently ignoring him. He still found it strange.

Otto felt that being the best meant that he would have to outdo everyone possible at the things he was always good at, but he learned that there wasn't a best anything, as Roderick had pointed out to him. The best thing he could be was him self, good old Otto Rocket. He figured he had a lot going for him and that he shouldn't get that competitive again. The last thing he wanted to do was to lose his friends over something so silly.

He took out the pendant that had once belonged to his mother which he always wore around his neck. He clutched it close to his chest and then closed his eyes. 'I'll never do that again. I will _never_ get that competitive again, mom. I will make you proud of me, and I _will_ go pro, but I will never put my pursuit of going pro in front of my family, friends, or school work again, just like you would've wanted.'

"Otto, time to go!" he heard a voice call. It was Reggie. He stuffed the medal back underneath his shirt. The game he and the others were going to play today was for her. "It's game time!"

Due to testing, final exams, and graduation ceremonies the Roller Hockey match against the Lasers they were supposed to have had a couple of weeks earlier was postponed.

She skated over to Otto - dressed in full in her green and white uniform - and put her hand out to her younger brother. "Ready to go whoop Lars's team?"

He gave her a half smile and grabbed her hand. "You bet, sis." He stood up and skated down the driveway, as did Reggie, and met up with Sam and Twister, doing their rallying woogie before skating up to where their match was to be held.

All the way there, Otto noticed Twister's glancing at Reggie, and Reggie's lightly smiling back (they were still keeping their relationship secret until they felt it was the right time to come out and tell it) and he didn't like it at all, but he realized that didn't matter. They had a game to play and had to put his ill, suspicious feelings aside. They were all a team and those three were probably the best friends he'd ever have.

"Oh _lo_sers!" they heard a boy sneer and cruelly laugh after they had arrived. It was Lars skating over to them, his three teammates a short ways behind him, guffawing. "Ready to lose!"

Otto skated up to him - while Reg and the others got into play position - and stared Lars in the face with true determination. "No way, man! _You're_ the one that's going to lose!"

"Whatever, dork!"

With that, both boys in the middle of the playing field, their hockey sticks down, the referee blew the whistle, dropped the puck, and the fierce match began, everyone cheering. Everything was back to normal in Ocean Shores for the young Otto Rocket, or was it?

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There you all go, the end of this fic. I thank you all for reading. It was quite fun to write.

Now, as you all can see, Otto and Twister's dispute still hasn't been resolved completely. Am I not evil since it's sorta cliffhangerish? lol They will resolve their differences in the sequel to this fic Friends to the End! (the first chapter of it is up right now). I just hope you all decide to read it, and don't forget to leave opinions and comments on what I can do to make it better.

Well, I'm out of here and once again, thanks a lot for reading and may god bless you all.


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